Recycling and Risk
The use of potentially toxic agricultural inputs in developing countries and the fact that production often takes place at urban, industrial or mining sites exacerbate the environmental and health risks. At the same time, society expects agriculture to guarantee adequate volumes of quality products, manage rural areas and serve to purify the environment.
The unit studies the role played by the soil in cultivated ecosystem functioning. To monitor the impact of soil management on production and the environment, it is vital to understand the numerous mechanisms at play on every organizational level. The cultivated plot is the preferred scale for studying biophysical processes, whereas integrated management of soils and of environmental risk calls for an overall approach. The main scientific challenge facing the unit is to combine the knowledge generated by studies of biophysical processes and that relating to production system management within a single approach or model.