Joint environmental and social benefits from diversified agriculture

Rasmussen, Laura Vang; Grass, Ingo; Mehrabi, Zia; Smith, Olivia M.; Bezner-Kerr, Rachel; Blesh, Jennifer; Garibaldi, Lucas Alejandro; Isaac, Marney E.; Kennedy, Christina M.; Wittman, Hannah; Batáry, Péter; Buchori, Damayanti; Cerda, Rolando; Chará, Julián; Crowder, David W.; Darras, Kevin; DeMaster, Kathryn; Garcia, Karina; Gómez, Manuel; Gonthier, David; Hidayat, Purnama; Hipólito, Juliana; Hirons, Mark; Hoey, Lesli; James, Dana; John, Innocensia; Jones, Andrew D.; Karp, Daniel S.; Kebede, Yodit; Kerr, Carmen Bezner; Klassen, Susanna; Kotowska, Martyna; Kreft, Holger; Llanque, Ramiro; Levers, Christian; Lizcano, Diego J.; Lu, Adrian; Madsen, Sidney; Marques, Rosebelly Nunes; Martins, Pedro Buss; Melo, America; Nyantakyi-Frimpong, Hanson; Olimpi, Elissa M.; Owen, Jeb P.; Pantevez, Heiber; Qaim, Matin; Redlich, Sarah; Scherber, Christoph; Sciligo, Amber R.; Snapp, Sieglinde; Snyder, William E.; Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf; Stratton, Anne Elise; Taylor, Joseph M.; Tscharntke, Teja; Valencia, Vivian; Vogel, Cassandra; Kremen, Claire

doi:10.1126/science.adj1914

Cited by 12 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 85 publications

(86 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Here, the development of large-scale trials and continuous monitoring may be crucial to shed light on potential joint environmental and social benefits of sustainable land management. For instance, a recent meta-study across 2,655 farms worldwide showed that applying multiple diversification strategies creates more positive outcomes than individual management strategies alone (Rasmussen et al, 2024). et al, 2016) and volatile (Eisenhauer & Weigelt, 2021;Werner et al, 2021) emissions as well as erosion processes (Tegen & Schepanski, 2009).…”

Section: The Top 10 Research Frontiers Related To the Soil Biodiversi...mentioning

confidence: 99%

A belowground perspective on the nexus between biodiversity change, climate change, and human well‐being

Eisenhauer,

Frank,

Weigelt

et al. 2024

J of Sust Agri & Env

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Soil is central to the complex interplay among biodiversity, climate, and society. This paper examines the interconnectedness of soil biodiversity, climate change, and societal impacts, emphasizing the urgent need for integrated solutions. Human‐induced biodiversity loss and climate change intensify environmental degradation, threatening human well‐being. Soils, rich in biodiversity and vital for ecosystem function regulation, are highly vulnerable to these pressures, affecting nutrient cycling, soil fertility, and resilience. Soil also crucially regulates climate, influencing energy, water cycles, and carbon storage. Yet, climate change poses significant challenges to soil health and carbon dynamics, amplifying global warming. Integrated approaches are essential, including sustainable land management, policy interventions, technological innovations, and societal engagement. Practices like agroforestry and organic farming improve soil health and mitigate climate impacts. Effective policies and governance are crucial for promoting sustainable practices and soil conservation. Recent technologies aid in monitoring soil biodiversity and implementing sustainable land management. Societal engagement, through education and collective action, is vital for environmental stewardship. By prioritizing interdisciplinary research and addressing key frontiers, scientists can advance understanding of the soil biodiversity–climate change–society nexus, informing strategies for environmental sustainability and social equity.

show abstract

Section: The Top 10 Research Frontiers Related To the Soil Biodiversi...mentioning

confidence: 99%

A belowground perspective on the nexus between biodiversity change, climate change, and human well‐being

Eisenhauer,

Frank,

Weigelt

et al. 2024

J of Sust Agri & Env

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Given that agroecological practices, such as diversification, are associated more frequently with positive socioeconomics outputs [24][25][26], we also compared the economic performance of diversified crop arrangements compared to pure stand crops. Some studies highlight that applying multiple diversification strategies creates more positive outcomes than individual management strategies [27]. We hypothesised that combining intercropping and flower strips on the edges enhances the efficiency of land use, increasing LER (land equivalent ratio), which in turn enhances the profitability of crops.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Flowering Strips in Associated Broccoli and Lettuce Crops on Increasing Land Use Efficiency

Martinez,

Marcillo-Paguay,

Revelo-Gomez

et al. 2024

Sustainability

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Diversifying agroecosystems enhance the sustainability of agricultural production and reduce input dependency during agroecological transitions. To achieve this objective, a study was conducted to assess the impact of intercropping and the introduction of flowering plant strips on land use efficiency and crop damage in a lettuce and broccoli association. The results indicated that the introduction of flowering plant strips alone led to a significant increase in land use efficiency, while intercropping alone did not have any such effect. The efficiency was measured using the land use equivalent ratio (LER), which consistently showed values greater than 1, suggesting a significant increase in efficiency. It should be noted that the presence of flower strips in the crop fields were found to increase the incidence of molluscs and Plutella xyllostella. Additionally, the competitive ratio analysis revealed that broccoli was more competitive than lettuce in the intercropping system. Therefore, farmers can increase the efficiency of land use and profitability by incorporating flower strips in the intercropping systems of broccoli and lettuce.

show abstract

The ties that bind: how trees can enhance agroecological transitions

Isaac,

Sinclair,

Laroche

et al. 2024

Agroforest Syst

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Agricultural systems have a long history of responding to various economic and socio-political forces, including supply and demand, political preferences and power inequalities. Our current food system continues to respond to contemporary forces with a call for sustainable transformations in the face of increased pressure and competition over resources, severe consequences of climatic change, widespread degradation of land and water resources, and the accelerating loss of biodiversity. Both agroforestry and agroecology have evolved as approaches to agricultural management that focus on the application of ecological principles to achieve sustainable agriculture. Agroecological principles are designed to engage with the entire agrifood system, for instance identifying broad participation and involving a diversity of actors and knowledge systems. Agroecological approaches to production have significant historical and contemporary links to agroforestry approaches, but not all agroecology involves trees and not all agroforestry is in line with agroecological principles. Drawing on (1) a literature review, (2) case studies on the agroforestry and agroecology nexus presented at the 5th World Congress on Agroforestry (WCA), and (3) audience responses to statements presented at the Congress, we explore the two main ways that agroforestry and agroecology come together: agroforestry that encompasses agroecological principles and agroecological transitions that involve trees. We review the status of agroecology, the functions specific to agroforestry that can enhance the achievement of agroecological outcomes, the tensions between simple agroforestry systems and agroecology, and the larger potential of multidimensional sustainability of agroforestry with the inclusion of agroecological principles. We also present the level of agreement on four key statements about the agroforestry-agroecology nexus enumerated at the WCA. It is clear that some features of agroforestry operationalize agroecological principles that aim to transition away from monocultures and the use of environmentally disruptive agrochemicals, and toward strengthening biodiversity and resilience. Yet, much remains to be done to enhance agroecological principles more fully in framing agroforestry practices and to incorporate trees within agroecological practices. Pathways to strengthen the nexus of agroforestry and agroecology are proposed, which focus on the role of trees in multifunctionality and resilience and using agroecological principles related to knowledge sharing and equity to enrich agroforestry practices.

show abstract

Joint environmental and social benefits from diversified agriculture

Cited by 12 publications

References 85 publications

A belowground perspective on the nexus between biodiversity change, climate change, and human well‐being

A belowground perspective on the nexus between biodiversity change, climate change, and human well‐being

Effect of Flowering Strips in Associated Broccoli and Lettuce Crops on Increasing Land Use Efficiency

The ties that bind: how trees can enhance agroecological transitions

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About