Towards a natural resource management paradigm for international agriculture: the example of agroforestry research

This paper presents the basis of a new research paradigm, integrated natural resource management, which aims to increase agricultural production in tropical countries in a sustainable manner. Integrated natural resource management (NRM) combines traditional germplasm improvement approaches with NRM concerns. The theoretical framework underlying this approach is based on concepts of natural capital and ecosystem hierarchy, and highlights the role of natural capital in providing ecosystem services such as nutrient and water cycling acid C sequestration, which may be lost or reduced in intensive agricultural systems. The main components of an integrated NRM agenda are explored. and the need for research to be carried out by interdisciplinary teams including ecologists, social scientists and economists at a range of spatial and temporal scales is discussed. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.