The McKnight Foundation’s Collaborative Crop Research Program (CCPR) is developing a new online resource, Agroecological Intensification Exchange (AIE), to encourage integration of agroecological principles in agricultural systems. Agroecological intensification aims at improving agricultural productivity and efficiency through better farm management and reducing risks through increased resilience and diversity.
AIE is a platform for sharing and discussion “all aspects of research, evaluation and development methods for agroecological intensification”. It provides evidence for the effectiveness of ecological principles and practices in improving agriculture performance. The resource is intended for practitioners and researchers in developing countries seeking to improve agricultural systems.
The website is a source of information for ecological principles in farm management topics like crop ecology and soil ecology, as well as social innovation and agriculture-nutrition linkages. For each of the topics, there is a wealth of principles, definitions, case studies, cross references and relevant techniques. The website also includes a forum to promote sharing of knowledge of ideas.