Abstract
There is a growing recognition of the fundamental importance of soils in supporting productive and sustainable agricultural systems. The term sustainable intensification is now widely used to characterise the importance of linking productivity with sustainability. This term recognises the need to maintain or increase food production without increasing the use of land or external inputs. In this chapter, we explore the concepts of sustainable intensification and soil quality and explain how these impact soils in different global regions. The economic impacts of improving soil quality are also considered.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Audsley E, Brander M, Chatterton J, Murphy-Bokern D, Webster C, Williams A (2009) An assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from the UK food system and the scope for reduction by 2050. How low can we go? WWF-UK and the FCRN
Baulcombe D (2010) Reaping benefits of crop research. Science 327:761
Baulcombe D, Crute I, Davies B, Dunwell J, Gale M, Jones J, Pretty J, Sutherland W, Toulmin C (2009) Reaping the benefits: science and the sustainable intensification of global agriculture
Bridges EM, Oldeman LR (1999) Global assessment of human-induced soil degradation. Arid Soil Res Rehabil 13:319–325
Chen X, Cui Z, Fan M, Vitousek P, Zhao M, Ma W, Wang Z, Zhang W, Yan X, Yang J, Deng X, Gao Q, Zhang Q, Guo S, Ren J, Li S, Ye Y, Wang Z, Huang J, Tang Q, Sun Y, Peng X, Zhang J, He M, Zhu Y, Xue J, Wang G, Wu L, An N, Wu L, Ma L, Zhang W, Zhang F (2014) Producing more grain with lower environmental costs. Nature 514:486–489
Doran JW, Zeiss MR (2000) Soil health and sustainability: managing the biotic component of soil quality. Appl Soil Ecol 15:3–11
Erisman JW, Sutton M, Galloway JN, Klimont Z, Winiwarter W (2008) How a century of ammonia synthesis changed the world. Nat Geosci 1:636–639
FAO U (2011) The state of the world’s land and water resources for food and agriculture. Managing systems at risk. UN FAO, Rome, p 50
FAO (2013) Climate-Smart agriculture sourcebook. FAO
Foley JA, Ramankutty N, Brauman KA, Cassidy ES, Gerber JS, Johnston M, Mueller ND, O'Connell C, Ray DK, West PC, Balzer C, Bennett EM, Carpenter SR, Hill J, Monfreda C, Polasky S, Rockstrom J, Sheehan J, Siebert S, Tilman D, Zaks DP (2011) Solutions for a cultivated planet. Nature 478:337–342
Fowler D, Steadman CE, Stevenson D, Coyle M, Rees RM, Skiba UM, Sutton MA, Cape JN, Dore AJ, Vieno M, Simpson D, Zaehle S, Stocker BD, Rinaldi M, Facchini MC, Flechard CR, Nemitz E, Twigg M, Erisman JW, Butterbach-Bahl K, Galloway JN (2015) Effects of global change during the 21st century on the nitrogen cycle. Atmos Chem Phys Discuss 15:13849–13893
Gardi C, Jeffery S, Saltelli A (2013) An estimate of potential threats levels to soil biodiversity in EU. Glob Change Biol 19:1538–1548
Glenk K, Shrestha S, Topp CFE, Sanchez B, Ingesias A, Dibari C, Merante P (2015) Modelling constraints and trade-offs in optimizing SOC. Deliverable D3.4. Smart Soil Report
Godfray HCJ, Beddington JR, Crute IR, Haddad L, Lawrence D, Muir JF, Pretty J, Robinson S, Thomas SM, Toulmin C (2010) Food security: the challenge of feeding 9 billion people. Science 327:812–818
Godfray HCJ, Crute IR, Haddad L, Lawrence D, Muir JF, Pretty J, Robinson S, Toulmin C (2011) The future of food and farming; challenges and choices for global sustainability. The Government Office for Science. Foresight, London, UK
Hooper DU, Chapin FS, Ewel JJ, Hector A, Inchausti P, Lavorel S, Lawton JH, Lodge DM, Loreau M, Naeem S (2005) Effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning: a consensus of current knowledge. Ecol Monogr 75:3–35
Ingram J, Mills J, Dibari C, Ferrise R, Ghaley BB, Hansen JGn, Iglesias A, Karaczun Z, McVittie A, Merante P (2016) Communicating soil carbon science to farmers: Incorporating credibility, salience and legitimacy. J Rural Stud 48:115–128
Ju XT, Xing GX, Chen XP, Zhang SL, Zhang LJ, Liu XJ, Cui ZL, Yin B, Christie P, Zhu ZL (2009) Reducing environmental risk by improving N management in intensive Chinese agricultural systems. Proc Natl Acad Sci 106:3041–3046
Powlson DS, Gregory PJ, Whalley WR, Quinton JN, Hopkins DW, Whitmore AP, Hirsch PR, Goulding KW (2011) Soil management in relation to sustainable agriculture and ecosystem services. Food Policy 36:S72–S87
Rees RM, Barnes AP, Moran D (2016) Sustainable intensification: the pathway to low carbon farming? Reg Environ Change 16:2253–2255
Reid WV, Mooney HA, Cropper A, Capistrano D, Carpenter SR, Chopra K (2005) Millenium ecosystem assessment synthesis report. Island Press, Washington, DC
Sanchez PA, Shepherd KD, Soule MJ, Place FM, Buresh RJ, Izac AM, Mokwunye AU, Kwesiga FR, Ndiritu CG, Woomer PL (1997) Soil fertility replenishment in Africa: an investment in natural resource capital. In: Replenishing soil fertility in Africa, pp 1–46
Sutton MA, Howard CM, Erisman JW, Billen G, Bleeker A, Grennfelt P, Grinsven HV, Grizzetti B (2011) The European Nitrogen Assessment; sources, effects and policy perspectives. Cambridge
Tilman D, Cassman KG, Matson PA, Naylor R, Polasky S (2002) Agricultural sustainability and intensive production practices. Nature 418:671–677
Tittonell P (2014) Ecological intensification of agriculture – sustainable by nature. Curr Opin Environ Sustain 8:53–61
Tsiafouli MA, Thébault E, Sgardelis SP, Ruiter PC, Putten WH, Birkhofer K, Hemerik L, Vries FT, Bardgett RD, Brady MV (2015) Intensive agriculture reduces soil biodiversity across Europe. Glob Change Biol 21:973–985
Wall DH, Nielsen UN, Six J (2015) Soil biodiversity and health. Nature 528:69–76
Westhoek H, Lesschen JP, Rood T, Wagner S, De Marco A, Murphy-Bokern D, Leip A, van Grinsven H, Sutton MA, Oenema O (2014) Food choices, health and environment: effects of cutting Europe’s meat and dairy intake. Glob Environ Change 26:196–205
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from the Scottish Government’s Rural Affairs Food and Environment Strategic (RESAS) Research programme for funding.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Rees, R.M., Griffiths, B.S., McVittie, A. (2018). Sustainable Intensification of Agriculture: Impacts on Sustainable Soil Management. In: Ginzky, H., Dooley, E., Heuser, I., Kasimbazi, E., Markus, T., Qin, T. (eds) International Yearbook of Soil Law and Policy 2017. International Yearbook of Soil Law and Policy, vol 2017. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68885-5_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68885-5_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-68884-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-68885-5
eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyLaw and Criminology (R0)