Agroecology on the agenda for the next Science Bar

[Press Release] - Published on April 4, 2024 in the 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 agronomist and researcher specializing in temperate agroforestry systems at INRAE, and Yves Vigouroux, a research director in biology at IRD, will discuss with the audience how agroecology can adapt to the challenges of climate change.

The Bar des sciences has become one of Montpellier’s flagship events for scientific culture, offering a participatory, community-driven discussion on all aspects of science once a month 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 theUM science outreach departmentsUM its partners: INRAE, INSERM, and IRD. Sign language interpretation will be provided for this event. Admission is free, 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. Climate change has multiple consequences for agriculture: 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 and specializes in entomology; he 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 Joint Research Unit on Plant Diversity, Adaptation, and Development (Diade) at the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD).