Examining multi-functionality for crop yield and ecosystem services in five systems of agroecological intensification
Agroecological intensification (AEI) integrates ecological principles and biodiversity management into farming systems with the aims of increasing farm productivity, reducing dependency on external inputs, and sustaining or enhancing ecosystem services. This review develops an analytic framework to...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2017-01-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2016.1174810 |
| _version_ | 1797681233888542720 |
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| author | Kelly Garbach Jeffrey C. Milder Fabrice A.J. DeClerck Maywa Montenegro de Wit Laura Driscoll Barbara Gemmill-Herren |
| author_facet | Kelly Garbach Jeffrey C. Milder Fabrice A.J. DeClerck Maywa Montenegro de Wit Laura Driscoll Barbara Gemmill-Herren |
| author_sort | Kelly Garbach |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Agroecological intensification (AEI) integrates ecological principles and biodiversity management into farming systems with the aims of increasing farm productivity, reducing dependency on external inputs, and sustaining or enhancing ecosystem services. This review develops an analytic framework to characterize the fulfilment of these objectives by documenting the co-occurrence of positive, neutral, and negative outcomes for crop yield and nine regulating ecosystem services. We provide an illustrative examination of the framework, evaluating evidence for yield and ecosystem service outcomes across five AEI systems: conservation agriculture, holistic grazing management, organic agriculture, precision agriculture, and system of rice intensification (SRI). We reviewed 104 studies containing 245 individual comparisons between AEI and contrasting farming systems. In three of the five AEI systems, conservation agriculture, precision agriculture, and SRI, more than half of reviewed comparisons reported ‘win-win’ outcomes, enhancement of both yield and ecosystem services, or ‘win-neutral’ outcomes relative to contrasting farming systems. The review presents substantial evidence that the five AEI systems can contribute to multi-functional agriculture by increasing ecosystem service provision, or reducing negative externalities associated with agriculture, while maintaining or increasing yields. A framework such as the one presented here can help guide decision-makers considering how best to implement multi-functional agriculture so that both crop yield and ecosystem service delivery can be maintained or increased. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T23:41:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6f7624bdaa79475fb725090b0c10ad49 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1473-5903 1747-762X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T23:41:44Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability |
| spelling | doaj.art-6f7624bdaa79475fb725090b0c10ad492023-09-19T15:22:19ZengTaylor & Francis GroupInternational Journal of Agricultural Sustainability1473-59031747-762X2017-01-01151112810.1080/14735903.2016.11748101174810Examining multi-functionality for crop yield and ecosystem services in five systems of agroecological intensificationKelly Garbach0Jeffrey C. Milder1Fabrice A.J. DeClerck2Maywa Montenegro de Wit3Laura Driscoll4Barbara Gemmill-Herren5Institute of Environmental Sustainability, Loyola University ChicagoCornell UniversityAgrobiodiversity and Ecosystem Services Program, Bioversity InternationalUniversity of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California, BerkeleyWorld Agroforestry CenterAgroecological intensification (AEI) integrates ecological principles and biodiversity management into farming systems with the aims of increasing farm productivity, reducing dependency on external inputs, and sustaining or enhancing ecosystem services. This review develops an analytic framework to characterize the fulfilment of these objectives by documenting the co-occurrence of positive, neutral, and negative outcomes for crop yield and nine regulating ecosystem services. We provide an illustrative examination of the framework, evaluating evidence for yield and ecosystem service outcomes across five AEI systems: conservation agriculture, holistic grazing management, organic agriculture, precision agriculture, and system of rice intensification (SRI). We reviewed 104 studies containing 245 individual comparisons between AEI and contrasting farming systems. In three of the five AEI systems, conservation agriculture, precision agriculture, and SRI, more than half of reviewed comparisons reported ‘win-win’ outcomes, enhancement of both yield and ecosystem services, or ‘win-neutral’ outcomes relative to contrasting farming systems. The review presents substantial evidence that the five AEI systems can contribute to multi-functional agriculture by increasing ecosystem service provision, or reducing negative externalities associated with agriculture, while maintaining or increasing yields. A framework such as the one presented here can help guide decision-makers considering how best to implement multi-functional agriculture so that both crop yield and ecosystem service delivery can be maintained or increased.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2016.1174810conservation agricultureholistic grazing managementorganicprecision agriculturesystem of rice intensification |
| spellingShingle | Kelly Garbach Jeffrey C. Milder Fabrice A.J. DeClerck Maywa Montenegro de Wit Laura Driscoll Barbara Gemmill-Herren Examining multi-functionality for crop yield and ecosystem services in five systems of agroecological intensification International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability conservation agriculture holistic grazing management organic precision agriculture system of rice intensification |
| title | Examining multi-functionality for crop yield and ecosystem services in five systems of agroecological intensification |
| title_full | Examining multi-functionality for crop yield and ecosystem services in five systems of agroecological intensification |
| title_fullStr | Examining multi-functionality for crop yield and ecosystem services in five systems of agroecological intensification |
| title_full_unstemmed | Examining multi-functionality for crop yield and ecosystem services in five systems of agroecological intensification |
| title_short | Examining multi-functionality for crop yield and ecosystem services in five systems of agroecological intensification |
| title_sort | examining multi functionality for crop yield and ecosystem services in five systems of agroecological intensification |
| topic | conservation agriculture holistic grazing management organic precision agriculture system of rice intensification |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2016.1174810 |
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