Abstract
Numerous studies point out that biodiversity can be key to meeting challenges that modern agriculture is facing. The reasons why farmers use and maintain a diversity of seeds and crops and how they manage this biodiversity in their fields are strongly linked to farmers' values. Synthesizing the multiplicity of these values could contribute to help better target and adapt biodiversity conservation actions to local contexts, and support sustainable practices that benefit farmers, society and the environment. Here, we assess the multiple values at stake in farmers' decisions related to crop biodiversity and build a classification system of values based on farmers' local knowledge, visions, and value systems. We discuss how these values interact with local and global drivers to shape on-farm crop diversity.Methods. Crops and their diversity are associated with values that have been approached in a variety of ways in the literature. As the articles do not systematically use the concept of value, we proposed to look at proxies indicating values (what people care for) and the associated valuations (the process of developing values through experience and choices made). The proxies are a set of indicators allowing to assume the existence of values and correspond to our articles search keywords (see Appendix 3). These proxies correspond to various registers of valuation (practical, rational or emotional), including preference, decision, choice, motivation, justification, attachment, utilization, judgment, consideration, effective valuation, care, perception, point of view, action, management, concern, and rationale. Valuations are the elements or qualities sought or appreciated by farmers synthesized in results 3.1.