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Global assessment of agricultural system redesign for sustainable intensification

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posted on 2023-06-09, 14:10 authored by Jules Pretty, Tim G Benton, Zareen Pervez Bharucha, Lynn V Dicks, Cornelia Butler Flora, H Charles J Godfray, Dave GoulsonDave Goulson, Susan Hartley, Nic Lampkin, Carol Morris, Gary Pierzynski, P V Vara Prasad, John Reganold, Johan Rockstrom, Pete Smith, Peter Thorne, Steve Wratten
The sustainable intensification (SI) of agricultural systems offers synergistic opportunities for the co-production of agricultural and natural capital outcomes. Efficiency and Substitution are steps towards SI, but system Redesign is essential to deliver optimum outcomes as ecological and economic conditions change. We show global progress towards SI by farms and hectares, using seven SI sub-types: integrated pest management, conservation agriculture, integrated crop and biodiversity, pasture and forage, trees, irrigation management, and small/patch systems. From 47 SI initiatives at scale (each >104 farms or hectares), we estimate 163M farms (29% of all worldwide) have crossed a redesign threshold, practising forms of SI on 453Mha of agricultural land (9% of worldwide total). Key challenges include investing to integrate more forms of SI in farming systems, creating agricultural knowledge economies, and establishing policy measures to scale SI further. We conclude that SI may be approaching a tipping point where it could be transformative.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Journal

Nature Sustainability

ISSN

2398-9629

Publisher

Springer Nature

Issue

8

Volume

1

Page range

441-446

Department affiliated with

  • Evolution, Behaviour and Environment Publications

Research groups affiliated with

  • Sussex Sustainability Research Programme Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2018-07-17

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2019-02-14

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2018-07-17

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