Agriculture and forestry have to meet the changing needs of society both in terms of consumption and with regards to the environmental issues related to primary production (e.g. biodiversity, habitats, water quality and quantity, climate change, air quality). A deeper understanding of ecological principles is changing perceptions on the functioning of primary production systems and will make it possible to use ecosystem services to benefit sustainable and resilient land use systems without jeopardising profitability. Integrated ecological approaches are a promising area of research and innovation. This includes the interactions between plants and/or animals and other organisms, as well as the interactions within the soil, and ecosystem services such as pollination, biological pest control, maintenance of soil structure and fertility, nutrient cycling and hydrological services, most of which are not well known yet