Service crops and plants: Clarifying definitions and bridging the gap between research and practice

As part of the agroecological movement, increasing attention is given to ecosystem services within farming systems. Researchers coined the terms ‘service crops’ or ‘service plants’ to describe the strategic introduction of plant species that provide these services. Despite the potential relevance of service crops and plants, inconsistencies in their theoretical definitions pose challenges for practical efforts to promote their use. Therefore, this study aims to refine the theoretical definitions of ‘service crop’ and ‘service plant’ using insights from taxonomy, ethnobotany and categorization literature and highlight the practical challenges of applying these concepts in agroecology through a case study in Mali. In Mali, efforts to encourage farmers to use service crops and plants focused on their economic value – an approach that conflicts with most theoretical definitions. Ignoring the economic value of service crops may reduce their appeal to farmers, suggesting that definitions need flexibility. On the other hand, emphasizing economic value in the promotion of service crops and plants might stretch the concepts to a point where they become meaningless. This reveals the complexity between theoretical definitions and practical implementation.