

The concept of sustainability, and more generally of sustainable agriculture, is based on the criterion of using natural resources at an intensity that allows for the regeneration of these resources. Sustainable use of resources should not, however, result in losses in productivity and quality. To achieve this, we tend to think in terms of resource use efficiency, ensuring that consumption is sustainable and aligned with the quality needs of the product in the production chains. Well-managed agro-forestry systems tend, in the long term, to ensure an adequate availability of resources that can mitigate disturbances that naturally occur and can compromise the yield and quality of food production.