Agricultural Resilience

Published by the British Ecological Society and Cambridge University Press, Agricultural Resilience: Perspectives from ecology and economics edited by Sarah Gardner, Stephen Ramsden and Rosemary Hails, explores economic, environmental and social influences on agricultural practices across the globe.

Agriculture as a social-ecological system embraces many disciplines. This book breaks through the silos of individual disciplines to bring ecologists and economists together to consider agriculture through the lens of resilience. It explores the economic, environmental and social uncertainties that influence the behaviour of agricultural producers and their subsequent farming approach, highlighting the importance of adaptability, innovation and capital reserves in enabling agriculture to persist under climate change and market volatility.

The resilience concept and its relation to complexity theory is explained and the characteristics that foster resilience in agricultural systems, including the role of biodiversity and ecosystem services, are explored. The book discusses modelling tools, metrics and approaches for assessing agricultural resilience, highlighting areas where interdisciplinary thinking can enhance the development of resilience. It is suitable for those researching sustainable agriculture or those engaged in agricultural policy decisions and analysis, as well as students of ecology, agriculture and socioeconomics.

Agricultural Resilience: Perspectives from ecology and economics edited by Sarah M. Gardner, Stephen J. Ramsden and Rosemary S. Hails, is published May 2019. The book is part of the British Ecological Society’s Ecological Reviews series published with Cambridge University Press, which aims to be a source of ideas and inspiration for ecologists at all career levels. It is available for purchase here (£34.99 for paperback, ISBN 9781107665873). BES members get 25% off all titles in the Ecological Reviews series.