Insects and sustainable agriculture

Next Meeting:  23 October 2013 [1]

The need to make agriculture more sustainable is increasingly being recognised, in addition to the fact that agriculture has many different functions in addition to food production. Entomologists know that insects are an important part of farmland biodiversity and provide many essential environmental services. Progress towards sustainability can be achieved through systems of management that minimise negative side-effects whilst maximising positive side-effects. Understanding and balancing the potential benefits and risks of existing and new agricultural technologies play an important part in this context. The SIG will aim to increase exchange of information on entomology-related aspects of these complex issues and to raise the profile of insects as an important component of farmland biodiversity. Subjects to be covered include e.g. potential effects of novel crops (e.g. GM crops and energy crops) and the impacts of environmental stewardship schemes on insects.