Crop biodiversity: a question of coevolution and transdisciplinarity

Abstract

Vara Sánchez, I., Cuéllar Padilla, M. (2013). Crop biodiversity: a question of coevolution and transdisciplinarity. Ecosistemas 22(1):5-9.Doi.: 10.7818/ECOS.2013.22-1.02

Crop biodiversity is a key element in the design and conservation of sustainable agroecosystems. It must be raised under an ecological and a social perspective. Both the natural and the social crop biodiversity components interact in a coevolutionary process. The results of this coevolution are the vast number of agrarian and diversified systems, which are adapted to the local conditions where human settlements are established. However, technical, economic, social and political factors have influenced the enormous degradation of these vast number of diversified agroecosystems. In this regard, the biodiversity conservation must not be raised only under a technical perspective. The functional and structural complexity of the agrarian systems takes into account both social and political components, that have a very important influence in this complexity. If not, we run the risk of considering the conservation issue under a reductionist perspective. It will entrain the atomisation of the system elements and partial solutions.We propose to build solutions under a scientific perspective that, on the one hand, accept the diversity and validity of different epistemological approaches and, consequently, a knowledge dialogue; and on the other hand, integrate the three dimensions: the ecological, the social and depolitical/cultural. This scientific approach is proposed to be the Agroecology.