Introduction: "Shifting cultivation is the most complex and multifaceted form of agriculture in the world. Its highly diverse land use systems have been evolving since as early as 10,000 BC in a wide range of distinct socioeconomic and ecological conditions, from montane to lowland ecosystems, and from tropical forests to grasslands (Spencer, 1966). Shifting cultivation encompasses cropping systems such as horticulture and annual cropping, perennial tree crops, animal husbandry, and management of forests and fallows in sequential or rotational cycles; it is currently practiced in a wide variety of forms by 500 million to one billion people around the world. Shifting cultivation has been a subject of debate and intervention since the colonial era, and it has often been subject to public misconceptions and stereotyping. Many in the environment and development community have criticized shifting cultivation as a primitive, backwards, destructive, or wasteful form of agriculture, and as a mere precursor to what are perceived to be more modem, sustainable and sedentary forms of agriculture. Contemporary critics and the media often call it "slash and bum" agriculture—a pejorative term that perpetuates misperceptions about shifting cultivators. This publication highlights the multifaceted, dynamic characteristics of shifting cultivation and identifies socioeconomic and policy factors that affect shifting cultivators. It challenges prevailing misconceptions by highlighting the diversity, myths, and realities of shifting cultivation. The concluding section summarizes reasons for supporting agroecological principles and livelihood security and avoiding historical mistakes. It also draws on insights based on field research and makes recommendations for policy change as well as other opportunities for supporting sustainable and equitable land use, including participatory community-based approaches for integrating local knowledge in research and development."