Production systems for sustainable intensification: Integrating productivity with ecosystem services

Most agriculture is conducted through an ‘interventionist approach’ in which the application of synthetic mineral fertilizers for plant health and technological developments (such as weed and pest control with agrochemicals, soil tilling, etc.). However, “Conservation Agriculture,” an ecosystem approach to farming characterized by fertile soils, is becoming more common. This Conservation Agriculture approach is sustainable through both its ecological impacts and its capacity to produce food and raw materials economically. The article calls for formation of knowledge-diffusion, technologies, policies, research, funding and institutional arrangements that promote the spread and development of Conservation Agriculture.