Levers for a More Sustainable Management of Biogeochemical Cycles in the Context of the Agroecological Transition

This introduction to a 2013 agroecology symposium workshop outlines the challenges and conceptual frameworks for sustainably managing biogeochemical cycles of nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon. Drawing on experiences from agricultural chambers, technical institutes, and research divisions at INRA and IRSTEA, it discusses how intensification and regional specialization have disrupted nutrient cycles and led to environmental impacts such as water contamination, eutrophication, air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and soil carbon loss. The authors review the evolution of mineral fertilization strategies, such as the ‘fertilisation raisonnée’ approach, and propose that achieving an agroecological transition will require leveraging actions at multiple embedded organizational levels.