The role of agroecology in sustainable intensification

Summary

This paper explores how agroecological approaches can contribute to sustainable intensification. There is an ongoing debate on how we can produce the required levels of food the world needs on existing farmland, while minimising environmental impacts. The ‘sustainable intensification’ concept has been proposed to reconcile these two objectives.
In parallel, there is a growing interest in how agroecological approaches can contribute to the world’s food security. We reviewed the evidence for a large range of agroecological practices and made a close comparison between conventional agricultural systems and integrated agriculture, organic farming and agroforestry, comparing on a range of factors.
Overall, the study found that agroecological approaches can and should make a substantial contribution to sustainable intensification. However, there is a need for better information and knowledge exchange systems on agroecological approaches.