Agro-Ecosystems: An Assessment

Abstract

Agro-ecosystems stand out from the natural ecosystems as they have been converted from the latter and managed by human beings for their own use. These may often overlap with forests, grasslands and coastal ecosystems where agricultural plots/croplands form part of a mosaic of land uses. Around 37 per cent of the global land (excluding Greenland and Antarctica) is under agriculture including the managed pastures (FAO, 2000a). Global agriculture provides 95 per cent of all animal and plant protein. Beyondthe economic value ofthe goods produced, agro-ecosystems also provide employment to millions. Nearly 45 per cent of the world's population is reported to be living in households dependent on agriculture and the labour directly engaged in agriculture makes 46 per cent of the world's total labour force (WRI, 2000).