Agroecology on the agenda for the next Science Bar

Agroecology on the agenda for the next Science Bar

The next Science Bar organized by the University of Montpellier will take place on April 25, starting at 8:30 pm. For this year's event, Riccardo Bommarco, full professor of agricultural entomology at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Uppsala, Sweden, Marie Gosme, agronomy researcher and specialist in temperate agroforestry systems at INRAE, and Yves Vigouroux, biology research director at IRD, will debate with the public on the issue of adapting agroecology to the challenges of climate change.

The Bar des sciences has become one of Montpellier's flagship events for scientific culture, offering once a month, from January to June, a participatory citizen debate on all aspects of science. Throughout the season, scientists are invited to engage in a dialogue in which their knowledge and practices are not only shared, but also discussed. The season is co-produced by the UM's scientific culture services and its partners: Inrae, Inserm and IRD. This evening will be translated into sign language. Admission 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 impact. The consequences of climate change on agriculture are manifold: the occurrence of extreme weather events, changes in rain cycles, soil structure and water resources, lower crop yields, loss of biodiversity, the occurrence of new pests and diseases affecting crops, people and animals. In this context, adaptation refers to a system's ability 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.

Three multidisciplinary experts will be on hand to answer questions from the public:

• Riccardo Bommarco, Professor of Agricultural Entomology at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Uppsala, Sweden. He holds a doctorate in agronomy, specializing in entomology, and is also a professor of ecology. Guest scientist at MAK'IT - Université de Montpellier.

• Marie Gosme, research agronomist specializing in temperate agroforestry systems at the Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'environnement et l'alimentation de Montpellier (INRAE Occitanie-Montpellier) - UMR AbSys (agrosystèmes biodiversifiés).
• Yves Vigouroux, biology research director, head of UMR Diversité, adaptation et développement des plantes (Diade) at the Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD).