Lessons and Perspectives of Ecological Intensification

Consistently with Cassman’s (1999) original wording, ecological intensification is commonly defined as the imperative to attain high productivity per surface area unit and per time unit with a concomitant “ecological” commitment to protect the environment. For most authors who subscribe to this concept the principle of mobilizing ecosystem processes that support and regulate primary production is the key to overcoming this challenge (Egger 1987; Breman and Sissoko 1998; Affholder et al. 2008; Chevassus-au-Louis and Griffon 2008; Bonny 2011; Dore et al. 2011; Bommarco et al. 2013; Hochman et al. 2013). By accepting this sense, we are justified in using the expressions “ecological intensification” and “ecologically intensive agriculture” interchangeably, with the latter expression suggesting more explicitly the forceful mobilization of ecological processes for high yields, and not simply the search for a combination of increased intensification and low environmental impact.