Reaping the benefits: Science and the sustainable intensification of global agriculture

Abstract

A policy review conducted by the Royal Society in the United Kingdom, this report reviews the need for sustainable intensification of agriculture or yield improvement without sacrificing environmental quality. In this aim, the report recognizes that the benefits of the Green Revolution have not been uniformly distributed and that reformed agricultural policy needs to be more egalitarian in effecting change. For these goals to be realized, there should be a significant dedication to increasing funding for agronomic research, building upon existing research methods, and research in radical approaches to improving crop varieties.