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Joint environmental and social benefits from diversified agriculture

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Online Location
https://www.science.org/doi/epdf/10.1126/science.adj1914
Publication date
04/04/2024
Language:
English
Type of Publication:
Articles & Journals
Focus Region:
Global
Focus Topic:
Agricultural Value Chains / Agri-Businesses
Climate / Weather / Environment
Author
LAURA VANG RASMUSSEN; INGO GRASS; ZIA MEHRABI; OLIVIA M. SMITH; RACHEL BEZNER-KERR; JENNIFER BLESH; LUCAS ALEJANDRO GARIBALDI; MARNEY E. ISAAC; CHRISTINA M. KENNEDY; HANNAH WITTMAN; PÉTER BATÁRY; DAMAYANTI BUCHORI; ROLANDO CERDA; JULIÁN CHARÁ; DAVID W. CROWDER; KEVIN DARRAS; KATHRYN DEMASTER, KARINA GARCIA; MANUEL GÓMEZ, DAVID GONTHIER; PURNAMA HIDAYAT; JULIANA HIPÓLITO; MARK HIRONS, LESLI HOEY; DANA JAMES; INNOCENSIA JOHN; ANDREW D. JONES, DANIEL S. KARP; YODIT KEBEDE; CARMEN BEZNER KERR, SUSANNA KLASSEN; MARTYNA KOTOWSKA; HOLGER KREFT; RAMIRO LLANQUE, CHRISTIAN LEVERS; DIEGO J. LIZCANO; ADRIAN LU; SIDNEY MADSEN, ROSEBELLY NUNES MARQUES; PEDRO BUSS MARTINS, AMERICA MELO;, HANSON NYANTAKYI-FRIMPONG; ELISSA M. OLIMPI; JEB P. OWEN, HEIBER PANTEVEZ; MATIN QAIM; SARAH REDLICH; CHRISTOPH SCHERBER; AMBER R. SCILIGO, SIEGLINDE SNAPP; WILLIAM E. SNYDER; INGOLF STEFFAN-DEWENTER; ANNE ELISE STRATTON; JOSEPH M. TAYLOR; TEJA TSCHARNTKE; VIVIAN VALENCIA; CASSANDRA VOGEL; AND CLAIRE KREMEN

Farms tend to be simplified ecosystems designed to efficiently produce one or a few crops or livestock. Strategies to diversify these systems by managing multiple species, incorporating areas of noncrop vegetation, or conserving soil or water have been posed as ways of countering the negative environmental effects of simplified agriculture such as biodiversity loss and pollution. Rasmussen et al. examined the effects of such practices on both environmental and social outcomes by harmonizing data from 24 studies in 11 countries. They found that implementing livestock diversification or soil conservation tended to create beneficial social and environmental outcomes, especially for biodiversity. Farms that implemented multiple diversification strategies had more win-win outcomes.