Vang Rasmussen L., Coolsaet B., Martin A., Mertz O., Pascual U., Corbera E., Dawson N., Fisher J.A., Franks P., Ryan C.M. Social-ecological outcomes of agricultural intensification. Nature sustainability. 1, 275–282. DOI (10.1038/s41893-018-0070 -8)
Land-use intensification in agrarian landscapes is seen as a key strategy to simultaneously feed humanity and use ecosystems sustainably, but the conditions that support positive social-ecological outcomes remain poorly documented. We address this knowledge gap by synthesizing research that analyses how agricultural intensification affects both ecosystem services and human well-being in low- and middle-income countries. Overall, we find that agricultural intensification is rarely found to lead to simultaneous positive ecosystem service and well-being outcomes. This is particularly the case when ecosystem services other than food provisioning are taken into consideration.
