Sustaining biodiversity and ecosystem services with agricultural production

Agricultural systems are considered one of the main drivers of global change, altering nutrient and water cycles, exacerbating climate change, and reducing biodiversity. However, agriculture has been developed for millennia, and there is an immense variety of farming systems worldwide. Considering these facts, are the effects of agriculture on biodiversity and ecosystem services the same in all agricultural systems? So irreconcilable are the goals of producing food and conserving nature? This chapter explores the complex relationship between agricultural systems, biodiversity, and the delivery of ecosystem services. Agricultural practices and the management of agroecosystems are key factors determining if an agroecosystem supports biodiversity and the delivery of ecosystem services or negatively impacts them. We debate the effects that we as citizens and consumers, and the agricultural policies, could have on the future of our agroecosystems and, therefore, on biodiversity and ecosystem services.