Agricultural Diversification

In lieu of an abstract, this is an excerpt from the first page. Agricultural intensification is a highly specialized agri-food system that has contributed to raising food production worldwide due to progress in agricultural machinery and technologies, the use of improved cultivars, and external inputs such as fertilizers, irrigation, and pesticides. Nevertheless, agricultural intensification and unsustainable soil management negatively influence the environment through a decrease in air and water quality, soil erosion, depletion of soil organic matter, resistance of weeds, pests, and pathogens to pesticides, and a decrease in soil quality and agrobiodiversity. It is well-known that some changes in agricultural systems are needed for their sustainability through balancing socio-economic food production aspects with environmental goals. In this context, appropriate diversification strategies and management practices are crucial for promoting the re-design of intensive agricultural systems. Several authors agree that crop diversity can improve crop productivity and resource use efficiency by delivering multiple ecosystem services. Coupling agricultural diversification including crop rotation, cover crops, multiple cropping and/or intercropping with low-input management strategies such as, agroecology, conservation agriculture, and organic farming contributes to increasing crop productivity and cropping system resilience in the long-term. Despite the large scientific consensus on the potential agro-ecological and socio-economic benefits of crop diversification, some financial instruments might be necessary to favour the adoption of combined agricultural diversification strategies since the economic costs in the short-term can offset the environmental and ecological benefits in the long-term. Particularly, the re-design and diversification of agricultural intensification imply specific transition costs that must be considered by farmers and advisors in the short- and med