contamination from agrochemicals  [CWANA; ESAP; Global Chapter 3; LAC; SSA; SR Part II: NRM].
•   Improving the understanding of soil-plant-water dy­namics, that is, ecological processes in soil and bodies of water and ecological interactions that affect agri­cultural and other natural resources systems [Global Chapter 3; LAC; NAE].
•   Creating and improving management options to sup­port agroecological systems (including landscape mosa­ics) and the multiple roles and functions of agriculture with input from ecological and evolutionary science practitioners, plant geneticists, botanists, molecular bi­ologists, etc. [Global Chapter 3; SR Part II: NRM].
•   Increasing   our  knowledge   of  local   and  traditional knowledge to support learning more about options for sustainable land management and rehabilitation [Glo­bal Chapter 3; Part II: NRM].
•   Enhancing in situ and ex situ conservation of agrobiodi-versity through broad participatory efforts to conserve germplasm and recapture the diversity of plant and ani­mal species traditionally used by local and indigenous people [Global Chapter 3; LAC; NAE; SSA; SR Part II: NRM]. Strengthening plant and livestock breeding pro­grams to adapt to emerging demands, local conditions, and climate change [SSA]. Increasing knowledge and providing guidelines for the sustainable management of forest and fisheries and integrating them within farming systems in such a way to maximize the income and em­ployment generation in rural areas [Global Chapter 3; SR Part II: NRM]. Democratically evaluating existing and emerging technologies, such as transgenic crops, first and second generation biofuels, and nanotechnolo-gies to ascertain their environmental, health and social impacts [Global Chapter 3; LAC; NAE]. Long-term as­sessments are needed for technologies that require con­siderable financial investment and risk to adopters, such as biotechnology and Green Revolution-type technolo­gies (high external inputs). It is important that impacts and applications of alternative technologies are also ex­amined and that independent comparative assessments (i.e.,  comparing transgenic  with  currently  available agroecological approaches such as biological control) are conducted.  Improving the  understanding of the agroecological functioning of mosaics of crop produc­tion areas and natural habitats, to determine how these can be co-managed to reduce conflicts and enhance pos­itive synergies. Promoting more diverse systems of local crop production at farm and landscape scale, to create more diverse habitats for wild species/ecological com­munities and for the provision of ecosystem services. This will require institutional innovations to enable ef­ficient marketing systems to handle diversified produc­tion. Establishing decentralized, locally based, highly efficient energy systems and energy efficient agriculture to improve livelihoods and reduce carbon emissions [ESAP; LAC]. AKST can contribute to the develop­ment of economically feasible biofuels and biomaterials that have a positive energy and environmental balance and that will not compromise the world food supply [Global Chapter 3; NAE; SR Part II: Bioenergy, NRM]. Developing strategies to counter the effects of agricul-

ture on climate change and strategies to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change on agriculture [Glo­bal Chapter 3; SR Part II: NRM].

Reducing agricultural emissions of greenhouse gases will require changes to  farming  and livestock  systems  and practices throughout the food system [NAE; LAC] as well as land use changes to achieve net carbon sequestration. Better agronomic practices, especially in livestock and rice production, such as conservation agriculture, less water consuming cultivation methods, and improved rangeland management, feeding of ruminants and manure manage­ment, can substantially reduce GHG emissions and possibly increase C sequestration [CWANA; ESAP]. Agroecological methods, agroforestry, and the breeding of salt-tolerant va­rieties can help mitigate the impacts of climate change on agriculture [ESAP; LAC; SSA; SR Part II: Climate change]. Although knowledge in these areas already exists, it is im­portant to analyze why this knowledge is not applied more often.

Policies and institutional frameworks. Options need to re­flect the goals of sustainable development and the multiple functions of agriculture, being particularly attentive to the interface between institutions and the adoption of AKST and its impacts. To be effective in terms of development and sustainability, these policies and institutional changes should be directed primarily at those who have been served least by previous AKST approaches, i.e., resource-poor farmers.
     Policies that promote sustainable agricultural practices, e.g., using market and other mechanisms to regulate and generate rewards for agro/environmental services, stimulate more rapid adoption of AKST for better natural resource management and enhanced environmental quality should be considered to promote more sustainable development [Global]. Some examples of sustainable initiatives are poli­cies designed to:
•   Reduce agrochemical inputs (particularly pesticides and synthetic fertilizers);
•   Use energy, water and land more efficiently (not only as in precision agriculture, but also as in agroecology);
•   Diversify agricultural systems;
•   Use agroecological management approaches; and
•   Coordinate biodiversity and ecosystem service man­agement policies with agricultural policies [CWANA; ESAP; Global Chapter 3; LAC].
•   Internalize  the  environmental  cost  of unsustainable practices [ESAP; Global Chapter 3; LAC; NAE] and avoid those that promote the wasteful use of inputs (pesticides and fertilizers);
•   Ensure the  fair compensation of ecosystem services [CWANA; ESAP; Global; LAC; NAE; SSA];
•   Regulate environmentally damaging practices and de­velop capacities for institutional changes that ensure monitoring and evaluation of compliance mechanisms [ESAP; Global].
•   Facilitate and provide incentives for alternative mar­kets such as green products, certification for sustain­able forest and fisheries practices and organic agricul­ture [CWANA; ESAP; Global; LAC; NAE; SSA] and the strengthening of local markets including enhancing