Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Patricia Masikati, Givious Sisito, Floyd Chipatela, Howard Tembo, Leigh Ann Winowiecki
Summary: Deforestation in Zambia is mainly driven by the expansion of agricultural land, but adopting sustainable agriculture intensification methods can reduce poverty levels, maintain crop production, and mitigate negative impacts on ecosystem.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY
(2021)
Article
Economics
Tobias Schulz, Tamaki Ohmura, Astrid Zabel
Summary: Around the globe, governments are promoting a transition toward a sustainable economy, with the forest playing a central role. However, this sustainability transition may lead to increased utilization of forests and conflicts between various forest ecosystem services. The special issue highlights the impact of sustainable economy transitions on forests and emphasizes the need for a more differentiated view of the role of the forest.
FOREST POLICY AND ECONOMICS
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Wen Song, Shisong Cao, Mingyi Du, Linlin Lu
Summary: This study used remotely sensed data to analyze the spatiotemporal variations in land consumption rate, population growth rate, and the ratio of land consumption rate to population growth rate, and explored their relations with the implementation of sustainable development goals in China. The results showed that the ratio of land consumption rate to population growth rate had more synergies with sustainable development goals compared to the individual perspectives of land consumption rate or population growth rate. The synergies and trade-offs of this ratio were more evident in undeveloped economic zones.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Gundula Fischer, Akosua Darkwah, Judith Kamoto, Jessica Kampanje-Phiri, Philip Grabowski, Ida Djenontin
Summary: This study examines the relationship between gender-biased land tenure systems and sustainable agricultural intensification, proposing the adoption of gender-transformative approaches to facilitate equitable outcomes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
E. Haughey, S. Neogi, J. Portugal-Pereira, R. van Diemen, R. B. Slade
Summary: A systematic review of case studies on grassland agriculture in Europe and smallholder agriculture in Africa shows differences in research themes between sustainable intensification (SI) and carbon sequestration. Europe emphasizes minimizing environmental impacts and biodiversity loss, while Africa focuses on food security. However, both case studies highlight the potential for integrating SI with climate mitigation through sustainable land use policies.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY
(2023)
Review
Ecology
Shanxing Gong, Jenny A. Hodgson, Teja Tscharntke, Yunhui Liu, Wopke van der Werf, Peter Batary, Johannes M. H. Knops, Yi Zou
Summary: Organic farming supports higher biodiversity, but at the cost of lower yields. The trade-off between biodiversity and yield in organic farming varies under different contexts. On average, the proportion of biodiversity gain is similar to the proportion of yield loss. Switching to organic farming can lead to biodiversity gain without yield loss in some non-cereal crops.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ramon Felipe Bicudo da Silva, Andres Vina, Emilio F. Moran, Yue Dou, Mateus Batistella, Jianguo Liu
Summary: Human-environment interactions across borders are now more influential than ever, posing unprecedented sustainability challenges. The metacoupling framework provides a useful tool to evaluate these interactions at diverse temporal and spatial scales.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Agricultural Economics & Policy
Kibrom A. Abay, Lina Abdelfattah, Hoda El-Enbaby, Mai Mahmoud, Clemens Breisinger
Summary: Increasing population pressure and density in Africa are leading to land scarcity and constraints. This article explores the impact of land size on agricultural intensification in Egypt, where irrigation dominates and input application rates are high. The study finds that smaller plot and farm sizes are associated with higher application of agricultural inputs, particularly nitrogen fertilizer, but also highlights the potential unsustainable practices and overuse of inputs in smaller plots.
AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
(2022)
Article
Urban Studies
Yuanyuan Yang, Xuezhen Ren, Jinming Yan
Summary: The land systems in global urban agglomerations have undergone significant changes, impacting the ecological environment. Assessing dynamic land use functions and their interrelations can help formulate targeted land use policy for sustainable land development. In the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration, multiple land use functions were identified and trade-offs/synergies among them were traced. The study suggests integrating dynamic land use trade-offs into decision-making to promote healthy and orderly land system development.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Xiaodong Gao, Xining Zhao, Pute Wu, Min Yang, Miaotai Ye, Lei Tian, Yufeng Zou, Yong Wu, Fusuo Zhang, Kadambot H. M. Siddique
Summary: Agricultural intensification in the Loess Plateau of China has significantly increased farmer's income and reduced rural poverty, but has also resulted in various environmental trade-offs such as soil desiccation, erosion, and nitrate pollution. A proposed framework aims to address these issues through collaboration among scientists, policymakers, social enterprises, and farmers.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zvi Hochman, Javier Navarro Garcia, Heidi Horan, Jeremy Whish, Lindsay Bell
Summary: In agriculture, sustainability aims to achieve multiple goals in production, environment, and social outcomes, requiring trade-offs and balancing between various indicators.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yeting Fan, Le Gan, Changqiao Hong, Laura H. Jessup, Xiaobin Jin, Bryan C. Pijanowski, Yan Sun, Ligang Lv
Summary: This study quantified 12 LUFs using a geospatial model and statistical analysis in Jiangsu Province, identified the relationships among agricultural production function (APF), urban-rural living function (ULF), and ecological maintenance function (EMF), and explored the determinants of LUF trade-offs. The study provides valuable insights for policy-makers in future land use planning and management.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Editorial Material
Biodiversity Conservation
Jeremy T. Bruskotter, John A. Vucetich, Sophie L. Gilbert, Neil H. Carter, Kelly A. George
Summary: The conflict between biodiversity conservation and food production is increasingly prominent. Two main agricultural strategies, sharing land with biodiversity or sparing land from agriculture, both have their challenges in reconciling the trade-offs. The rising concern for the welfare of individual animals, including wild and domestic, further complicates negotiations between agriculture and conservation.
CONSERVATION LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Hao Zhang, Wei Deng, Shaoyao Zhang, Li Peng, Ying Liu
Summary: The urban-rural transitional areas in southwestern China play a crucial role in sustainable ecosystem creation. A study in the Chengdu-Chongqing urban agglomeration found that the rural-urban fringe had stronger interactions between ecosystem services compared to urban areas. Particularly, the synergy between habitat quality and carbon storage was stronger than any other interactions in the entire study area.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Adam M. Komarek, Nurudeen Abdul Rahman, Arkadeep Bandyopadhyay, Fred Kizito, Jawoo Koo, Weseh Addah
Summary: This study in Northern Ghana found significant effects of maize leaf stripping on maize and sheep productivity, particularly on average daily liveweight gain of sheep and maize forage protein yield. However, stripping maize leaves also had impacts on total maize grain production and labor, with variations in effects due to differences in farm characteristics.
AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS
(2021)
Article
Biology
Sara Lofqvist, Fritz Kleinschroth, Adia Bey, Ariane de Bremond, Ruth DeFries, Jinwei Dong, Forrest Fleischman, Sharachchandra Lele, Dominic A. Martin, Peter Messerli, Patrick Meyfroidt, Marion Pfeifer, Sarobidy O. Rakotonarivo, Navin Ramankutty, Vijay Ramprasad, Pushpendra Rana, Jeanine M. Rhemtulla, Casey M. Ryan, Ima Celia Guimaraes Vieira, Geoff J. Wells, Rachael D. Garrett
Summary: This article highlights the importance of considering social processes in ecosystem restoration and suggests ways to incorporate them into science and policy. Based on existing case studies, it is shown that projects aligned with local preferences and implemented through inclusive governance are more likely to achieve positive social, ecological, and environmental outcomes. By overlaying global restoration priority maps, population data, and the Human Development Index (HDI), the article demonstrates that approximately 1.4 billion people, mostly from low HDI groups, live in areas identified as high restoration priority. The article concludes with five action points for promoting equity-centered restoration in science and policy.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Cecile Renier, Mathil Vandromme, Patrick Meyfroidt, Vivian Ribeiro, Nikolai Kalischek, Erasmus K. H. J. Zu Ermgassen
Summary: Cocoa production is a major driver of deforestation globally, but its specific impact on West Africa's deforestation dynamics remains unclear. Furthermore, it is unknown how much companies and international markets are able to trace their cocoa imports and meet sustainable sourcing commitments. This study analyzes publicly-available remote-sensing and supply chain data for Cote d'Ivoire, the largest cocoa producer, to quantify cocoa-driven deforestation, trace cocoa exports in 2019, and examine the associated deforestation from the department of origin to international markets. The findings reveal that cocoa is responsible for 2.4 million hectares of deforestation and degradation from 2000 to 2019, with an annual rate of 125,000 hectares, accounting for 45% of total deforestation and forest degradation during that period. Only 43.6% of exports can be traced back to specific cooperatives and departments, leaving a majority of cocoa untraced, either sourced indirectly through local intermediaries (23.9%) or exported by untransparent traders who disclose no supplier information (32.4%). The study highlights the need for transparency, collaboration, stronger regulations, and investments to preserve the remaining forests in West Africa.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Balsher Singh Sidhu, Zia Mehrabi, Navin Ramankutty, Milind Kandlikar
Summary: This study compares ordinary least squares linear regression (LR) to boosted regression trees (BRTs) for estimating crop yield response to climate change. BRTs showed better prediction accuracy than LR and could identify break points in the climate-yield relationship. Synthetic data tests demonstrated that BRTs can account for spatial variation and interactions between variables. BRTs predicted a smaller negative impact of historical climate change on rice, wheat, and pearl millet in India compared to LR. Caution is advised when interpreting results from single-model analyses.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tiago N. P. dos Reis, Vivian Ribeiro, Rachael D. Garrett, Tobias Kuemmerle, Philippe Rufin, Vinicius Guidotti, Pedro C. Amaral, Patrick Meyfroidt
Summary: The global trade of agricultural commodities has significant social-ecological impacts, but the factors determining trading relationships between supply chain actors and producing regions remain unclear. Understanding supply chain stickiness is crucial for understanding relationships, assessing interventions, and planning trade flows.
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Adam Patrick Dixon, Matthew E. Baker, Erle C. Ellis
Summary: Intensive agricultural landscapes pose challenges to increasing wildlife diversity, but recent advances in acoustic data collection and high-resolution habitat mapping have the potential to address this challenge. This study examined the relationship between habitat characteristics and avian biodiversity in intensive agricultural landscapes in Iowa. The results showed associations between noncrop vegetation and vocalizing bird richness, but challenges remain in promoting grassland birds in row crop landscapes.
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
Alfredo Cisneros-Pineda, Jeffrey S. Dukes, Justin Johnson, Sylvie Brouder, Navin Ramankutty, Erwin Corong, Abhishek Chaudhary
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Dongyang Wei, Jessica A. Gephart, Toshichika Iizumi, Navin Ramankutty, Kyle Frankel Davis
Summary: Food production stability is important for food security and is affected by variations in planted area, harvested area, and yield. This study finds that shocks in planted area and harvestable fraction co-occur with a large percentage of production shocks for different crops in the United States. Additionally, climatic variables explain a significant portion of the variance in planted area, harvestable fraction, and yield.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ziqi Meng, Jinwei Dong, Erle C. Ellis, Graciela Metternicht, Yuanwei Qin, Xiao-Peng Song, Sara Lofqvist, Rachael D. Garrett, Xiaopeng Jia, Xiangming Xiao
Summary: This study uses 30-m cropland maps to show that cropland expansion in protected areas accelerated dramatically from 2000 to 2019, compared with the expansion of global croplands, threatening the aspirations of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Marie Pratzer, Alvaro Fernandez-Llamazares, Patrick Meyfroidt, Tobias Krueger, Matthias Baumann, Stephen T. Garnett, Tobias Kuemmerle
Summary: Agricultural intensification may not lower deforestation in tropical dry forests overall, but it can reduce deforestation in areas with widespread Indigenous land stewardship. This study highlights the importance of recognizing and enforcing the rights of Indigenous peoples in order to achieve positive outcomes for both people and nature in agricultural intensification efforts.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Michael J. C. Walker, Andrew M. Bauer, Matthew Edgeworth, Erle C. Ellis, Stanley C. Finney, Philip L. Gibbard, Mark Maslin
Summary: The current debate on the status and character of the Anthropocene focuses on whether it should be designated as a formal unit or an informal event. Arguments exist both for formalizing the Anthropocene as a chronostratigraphic unit and for considering it as an unfolding geological event without a fixed basal boundary.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jing Liu, Laura Bowling, Christopher Kucharik, Sadia Jame, Uris Baldos, Larissa Jarvis, Navin Ramankutty, Thomas Hertel
Summary: Reducing nutrient loss from agriculture and improving water quality requires a combination of management practices. Regional measures alone may lead to displacement of corn production and offset the overall effectiveness of nutrient management strategies. However, implementing partial measures in tandem with nationwide policies, such as wetland restoration, split fertilizer application, and a nitrogen loss tax, can significantly reduce nutrient loss without significantly increasing corn prices.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ana Buchadas, Martin Jung, Mercedes Bustamante, Alvaro Fernandez-Llamazares, Stephen T. T. Garnett, Ana Sofia Nanni, Natasha Ribeiro, Patrick Meyfroidt, Tobias Kuemmerle
Summary: Tropical and subtropical dry woodlands are facing high deforestation pressure despite their rich biodiversity and carbon storage. This study explores the relationship between deforestation dynamics, woodland protection, and conservation priorities in these regions. The findings reveal that global conservation priorities are overrepresented in tropical dry woodlands compared to other areas, and deforestation frontiers disproportionately impact areas with important regional conservation assets. Understanding how deforestation frontiers coincide with different types of woodland protection can inform targeted conservation policies and interventions.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Claudia Parra-Paitan, Erasmus K. H. J. Zu Ermgassen, Patrick Meyfroidt, Peter H. Verburg
Summary: The production and trade of agricultural commodities, such as cocoa, have significant impacts on farmers and the environment. However, there is a lack of cross-country data on the identity and market share of trading companies involved in these commodities. This study addresses this gap by compiling detailed shipping data from eight cocoa-exporting countries and assessing the adoption of sustainability commitments by traders. The findings reveal a highly concentrated market, with a low overall adoption of sustainability commitments and barriers such as limited traceability and transparency.
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Navin Ramankutty
Summary: Transitioning to sustainability requires both short-term technological innovations and long-term cultural change, embracing traditional and Indigenous ideas of respect, responsibility, sufficiency, and reciprocity to reduce consumption.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Xiaoli Shen, Mingzhang Liu, Jeffrey O. Hanson, Jiangyue Wang, Harvey Locke, James E. M. Watson, Erle C. Ellis, Sheng Li, Keping Ma
Summary: Global conservation policies have traditionally relied on area-based targets to expand protected areas. However, different countries face inequitable conservation challenges and often use the same global target despite the uneven distribution of biodiversity. This study explores the necessity and feasibility of joint conservation efforts by countries to protect globally identified priorities for biodiversity and carbon conservation, comparing the 30% and 50% targets with countries conserving their national priorities. The results highlight the greater efficiency of targeting globally significant areas for biodiversity and carbon conservation, while acknowledging the challenges posed by inequitable conservation challenges and the need to protect landscapes utilized by humans for other land uses. It calls for cooperative and coordinated action, supported by strong funding mechanisms, to achieve the equitable and effective attainment of the 30% target by 2030.
