Agroecology on the agenda for the next Science Bar

[Press Release] - Published on April 4, 2024 in Press Room

On April 25, starting at 8:30 p.m., the next Science Bar event organized by the University of Montpellier will take place. For this edition, Riccardo Bommarco, full professor of agricultural entomology at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Uppsala, Sweden, Marie Gosme, an agricultural researcher specializing in temperate agroforestry systems at INRAE, and Yves Vigouroux, a research director in biology at IRD, will discuss with the audience the issue of adapting agroecology to the challenges of climate change.

The Bar des sciences has become one of Montpellier’s flagship events for science culture, offering a monthly participatory public discussion on all aspects of science from January through June. Throughout the season, scientists are invited to engage in a dialogue where their knowledge and practices are not only shared but also open to discussion. The season is co-produced by the scientific culture departments of the University of Montpellier (UM) and its partners: INRAE, INSERM, and IRD. Sign language interpretation is provided for this event. Free admission, subject to availability.

A Science Bar dedicated to agroecology

Agriculture faces two challenges: ensuring food and nutritional security and adapting to climate change while helping to mitigate its impacts. The consequences of climate change on agriculture are manifold: the occurrence of extreme weather events, changes in rainfall patterns, soil structure, and water resources, declining crop yields, loss of biodiversity, and the emergence of new pests and diseases affecting crops, humans, and animals. In this context, adaptation refers to a system’s capacity to adjust and adapt. It thus encompasses all measures taken to reduce the vulnerability of natural and human systems to the actual or expected effects of climate change.

To discuss this topic at the intersection of science and society, three multidisciplinary experts will answer questions from the audience:

• Riccardo Bommarco, full professor of agricultural entomology at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Uppsala, Sweden. He holds a Ph.D. in agronomy with a specialization in entomology and is also a professor of ecology. Visiting scientist at MAK’IT – University of Montpellier.

• Marie Gosme, an agricultural researcher specializing in temperate agroforestry systems at the National Research Institute for Agriculture, the Environment, and Food in Montpellier (INRAE Occitanie-Montpellier) – UMR AbSys (biodiverse agrosystems).
• Yves Vigouroux, research director in biology and director of the UMR Plant Diversity, Adaptation, and Development (Diade) at the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD).