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Agricultural sustainability: concepts, principles and evidence
Open accessAbstract
Concerns about sustainability in agricultural systems centre on the need to develop technologies and practices that do not have adverse effects on environmental goods and services, are accessible to and effective for farmers, and lead to improvements in food productivity. Despite great progress in agricultural productivity in the past half-century, with crop and livestock productivity strongly driven by increased use of fertilizers, irrigation water, agricultural machinery, pesticides and land, it would be over-optimistic to assume that these relationships will remain linear in the future. New approaches are needed that will integrate biological and ecological processes into food production, minimize the use of those non-renewable inputs that cause harm to the environment or to the health of farmers and consumers, make productive use of the knowledge and skills of farmers, so substituting human capital for costly external inputs, and make productive use of people's collective capacities to work together to solve common agricultural and natural resource problems, such as for pest, watershed, irrigation, forest and credit management. These principles help to build important capital assets for agricultural systems: natural; social; human; physical; and financial capital. Improving natural capital is a central aim, and dividends can come from making the best use of the genotypes of crops and animals and the ecological conditions under which they are grown or raised. Agricultural sustainability suggests a focus on both genotype improvements through the full range of modern biological approaches and improved understanding of the benefits of ecological and agronomic management, manipulation and redesign. The ecological management of agroecosystems that addresses energy flows, nutrient cycling, population-regulating mechanisms and system resilience can lead to the redesign of agriculture at a landscape scale. Sustainable agriculture outcomes can be positive for food productivity, reduced pesticide use and carbon balances. Significant challenges, however, remain to develop national and international policies to support the wider emergence of more sustainable forms of agricultural production across both industrialized and developing countries.
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“However, no clear-cut empirical evidence has been provided as to which of the principles of CA contributes most to agricultural sustainability in Africa (36)”
From The era of sustainable agricultural development in Africa: Understanding the benefits and constraints (2018) · cites this paper as [36]
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“Pretty (2008) suggested that agriculture needs a “sustainable intensifica- 2653Greenhouse gas emissions and sustainability by John Hutcheson on May 19, 2013www.journalofanimalscience.orgDownloaded from tion” of existing resources and technologies, rather than a reduction of inputs, to move toward…”
BackgroundPolicies for Reintegrating Crop and Livestock Systems: A Comparative Analysis
Garrett, R. D., Niles, M. T., Gil, J., Dy, P., dos Reis, J. C., & Valentim, J. F. (2017) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su9030473 · Cited by 66
“While there are myriad local factors that influence agricultural management [12,13], in this study we focus on the role of national policy contexts, which are a universally important, underlying determinant of agricultural behaviors across the world [14–17].”
Astier, M., Speelman, E. N., López-Ridaura, S., Masera, O. R., & Gonzalez-Esquivel, C. E. (2011) · International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability · doi:10.1080/14735903.2011.583481 · Cited by 86
“Some authors have used most of these attributes, but named them differently (Pretty, 2008); others have studied agroecosystem sustainability only through resilience (Walker and Salt, 2006; Mayer, 2008).”
BackgroundEcologically intensive agriculture: Nature and challenges
Bonny, S. (2011) · Cahiers Agricultures · doi:10.1684/agr.2011.0526 · Cited by 60
Soria-López, A., García-Pérez, P., Carpena, M., Garcia‐Oliveira, P., Otero, P., Fraga‐Corral, M., Cao, H., Prieto, M. A., & Simal‐Gándara, J. (2022) · Food Frontiers · doi:10.1002/fft2.173 · Cited by 64
Smith, F. P., Gorddard, R., House, A. P. N., McIntyre, S., & Prober, S. M. (2012) · Environmental Science & Policy · doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2012.07.013 · Cited by 57
Lin, S., Lin, X., Han, S., Liu, Y., Hasi, W., & Wang, L. (2020) · Analytica Chimica Acta · doi:10.1016/j.aca.2020.02.034 · Cited by 59
An Assessment of the Impact of Agricultural Research in South Asia since the Green RevolutionPreprint
Hazell, P. (2008) · RePEc: Research Papers in Economics · Cited by 59
Sánchez-Planelles, J., Segarra‐Oña, M., & Peiró‐Signes, Á. (2022) · Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management · doi:10.1002/csr.2243 · Cited by 58
Kalfas, D., Kalogiannidis, S., Papaevangelou, O., Melfou, K., & Chatzitheodoridis, F. (2024) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su16072664 · Cited by 58
Horton, P., Koh, L. S. C., & Guang, V. S. (2015) · Journal of Cleaner Production · doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.08.092 · Cited by 58
The spread of Conservation Agriculture: policy and institutional support for adoption and uptake
Kassam, A., Friedrich, T., Shaxson, F., Bartz, H. A., Mello, I., Kienzle, J., & Pretty, J. (2014) · Open Access at Essex (University of Essex) · Cited by 58
Self-citationMartens, J. R. T., Entz, M. H., & Wonneck, M. D. (2015) · Canadian Journal of Plant Science · doi:10.4141/cjps-2014-173 · Cited by 58
“…systems protect natural capital, minimize nutrient losses and use of non-renewable inputs, include recycling and feedback mechanisms, make optimal use of ecological niches, and include high levels of biodiversity, while continuing to be productive (Pretty 2008; Phelan 2009; Koohafkan et al. 2012).”
BackgroundInfluentialGlobal Provisioning of Red Meat for Flexitarian Diets
Hicks, T. M., Knowles, S. O., & Farouk, M. M. (2018) · Frontiers in Nutrition · doi:10.3389/fnut.2018.00050 · Cited by 58
“Methods diverged from traditional farming, and modern intensive production of crops and livestock is now commonplace in developed countries (16, 17).”
BackgroundGreen Horizons: Navigating the Future of Agriculture through Sustainable Practices
Dönmez, D., Isak, M. A., İzgü, T., & Şimşek, Ö. (2024) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su16083505 · Cited by 57
“As identified by Pretty [9], the roots of interest in sustainable agricultural and food systems can be traced back to environmental concerns that emerged in the 1950s–1960s.”
BackgroundGlobal Perspectives on Birds in Agricultural Landscapes
Johnson, R. J., Jedlicka, J. A., Quinn, J. E., & Brandle, J. R. (2011) · Integrated science & technology program · doi:10.1007/978-94-007-1309-3_3 · Cited by 62
“However, it also carries uncertainty and potential risks, direct and indirect, across multiple trophic levels (Spiroux de Vendômois et al. 2009; Pretty 2008; Groott and Dicke 2002; Hails 2002; Krebs et al. 1999).”
BackgroundInfluentialTamene, L. D., Mponela, P., Ndengu, G., & Kihara, J. (2015) · Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems · doi:10.1007/s10705-015-9692-7 · Cited by 57
“of organic amendments, inorganic fertilizers along with improved land husbandry practices (Morris et al. 2007; Pretty 2008; The Montpellier Panel 2013).”
BackgroundSimboli, A., Taddeo, R., & Morgante, A. (2015) · Ecological Economics · doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2015.01.005 · Cited by 57
Bullock, J. M., Jefferson, R. G., Blackstock, T. H., Pakeman, R. J., Emmett, B. A., Pywell, R. F., Grime, J. P., & SILVERTOWN, J. W. (2011) · Cited by 58
Cummings, S. P. (2009) · Northumbria Research Link (Northumbria University) · Cited by 57
Mutant Resources and Mutagenomics in crop plants
Prasanna, S., & Jain, S. M. (2017) · Emirates Journal of Food and Agriculture · doi:10.9755/ejfa.2017.v29.i9.86 · Cited by 57
Lal, B., Gautam, P., Panda, B. B., Tripathi, R., Shahid, M., Bihari, P., Guru, P. K., Singh, T., Meena, R. L., & Nayak, A. K. (2020) · Ecological Indicators · doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106431 · Cited by 57
Bunting, S. W., Pretty, J., & Edwards, P. J. (2010) · Reviews in Aquaculture · doi:10.1111/j.1753-5131.2010.01031.x · Cited by 56
Self-citationPrecision genetics for complex objectives in animal agriculture
Fahrenkrug, S. C., Blake, A., Carlson, D. F., Doran, T. J., Eenennaam, A. L. V., Faber, D., Galli, C., Gao, Q., Hackett, P. B., Li, N., et al. (2010) · Journal of Animal Science · doi:10.2527/jas.2010-2847 · Cited by 56
“The use of the best available technologies and inputs (best genotypes and best ecological management) to produce greater output per unit of input offers overt sustainability advantages (Pretty, 2008).”
BackgroundKin recognition, multilevel selection and altruism in crop sustainability
Murphy, G. P., Swanton, C. J., Acker, R. C. V., & Dudley, S. A. (2017) · Journal of Ecology · doi:10.1111/1365-2745.12787 · Cited by 56
“land, one component of sustainability (Pretty 2008).”
BackgroundWang, Z., Wang, J., Zhang, G., & Wang, Z. (2021) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su13010347 · Cited by 60
“The use of natural resources in agricultural production has disturbed the natural environment [3], especially in terms of global warming, water resources pressure, soil degradation, and environmental damage, which pose a threat to the living environment of human beings.”
BackgroundLaurett, R., Paço, A., & Mainardes, E. W. (2021) · Environmental Development · doi:10.1016/j.envdev.2020.100583 · Cited by 55
Dangelico, R. M., Ceccarelli, G., & Fraccascia, L. (2024) · Business Strategy and the Environment · doi:10.1002/bse.3774 · Cited by 55
Flora, C. B. (2010) · Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems · doi:10.1017/s1742170510000177 · Cited by 55
Indicators of Agricultural Intensity and Intensification: A Review of the Literature
Ruiz-Martínez, I., Marraccini, E., Debolini, M., & Bonari, E. (2015) · Italian Journal of Agronomy · doi:10.4081/ija.2015.656 · Cited by 55
“In arable crop farms in Spain (Moreno Pérez and Ortiz, 2008) this led to a reduction in farm work at the expense of an increase in the use of herbicides (Herzog et al., 2006; Pretty, 2008; Tittonell and Giller, 2013).”
BackgroundAdoption of intercropping among smallholder rubber farmers in Xishuangbanna, China
Min, S., Huang, J., Bai, J., & Waibel, H. (2017) · International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability · doi:10.1080/14735903.2017.1315234 · Cited by 55
“However, current patterns of economic growth have come at high costs in terms of environmental and natural resource degradation and negative human health effects (Pretty, 2008; Pretty et al., 2015).”
BackgroundMapping abandoned cropland using Within-Year Sentinel-2 time series
Liu, B., & Song, W. (2023) · CATENA · doi:10.1016/j.catena.2023.106924 · Cited by 56
“For example, the construction of dairy factories, slaughterhouses, and shared freezers near residential areas occupy cropland (Dixon et al., 2001; Pretty 2008).”
BackgroundNdah, H. T., Schuler, J., Uthes, S., Zander, P. M., Traore, K., Gama, M.-S., Nyagumbo, I., Triomphe, B., Sieber, S., & Corbeels, M. (2013) · Environmental Management · doi:10.1007/s00267-013-0215-5 · Cited by 55
“As in other parts of the world, small-scale farming in Africa faces a double challenge: increasing production while at the same time preserving natural resources (Pretty 2008; Tilman et al. 2002).”
BackgroundYork, L. M., Silberbush, M., & Lynch, J. P. (2016) · Journal of Experimental Botany · doi:10.1093/jxb/erw133 · Cited by 54
“Farming more land is not a viable solution for this problem in most regions of the world (Pretty, 2008), so land use efficiency must increase dramatically.”
BackgroundParticipatory assessment of sustainability and resilience of three specialized farming systems
Paas, W., Coopmans, I., Severini, S., van Ittersum, M. K., Meuwissen, M. P. M., & Reidsma, P. (2021) · Ecology and Society · doi:10.5751/es-12200-260202 · Cited by 57
Duru, M., Fares, M., & Therond, O. (2014) · Cahiers Agricultures · doi:10.1684/agr.2014.0691 · Cited by 63
He, Q., Liu, D. L., Wang, B., Wang, Z., Cowie, A., Simmons, A. T., Xu, Z., Li, L., Shi, Y., Liu, K., et al. (2024) · Resources Conservation and Recycling · doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107428 · Cited by 57
“…(SI) has been proposed as a framework focusing on increasing yields with fewer inputs and without cropland expansion (Muleke et al., 2023; Pretty, 2008); climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is often put forward as an integrated approach for securing productivity under climate change and…”
Stamp, P., Messmer, R., & Walter, A. (2012) · Plant Breeding · doi:10.1111/j.1439-0523.2012.01990.x · Cited by 53
Metadata
- Authors
- Pretty, J.
- Affiliations
- University of Essex (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Pretty, Jules
- ORCID
- Pretty, Jules
- Venue
- Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
- Publisher
- The Royal Society
- Published
- 2007-07-25
- Volume
- 363
- Issue
- 1491
- Pages
- 447-465
- ISSN
- 0962-8436 (ISSN-L)
- 1471-2970
- PMC
- PMC2610163
- OpenAlex
- W2124217459
- Cited by
- 1,941
- References
- 175
- Citations by year
- 2026: 159 · 2025: 178 · 2024: 180 · 2023: 138 · 2022: 123 · 2021: 140 · 2020: 123 · 2019: 123 · 2018: 101 · 2017: 105 · 2016: 110 · 2015: 80 · 2014: 74 · 2013: 86 · 2012: 76
- FWCI
- 1.93
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Open Access at Essex (University of Essex) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Agronomy and Crop Science › Sustainable Agricultural Systems Analysis
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › General Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant and soil sciences
- Social Sciences › Development › Agriculture, Land Use, Rural Development
- Keywords
- sustainable agriculture, agroecosystems, natural capital, social capital, human capital, financial capital, physical capital, ecological management, nutrient cycling, system resilience, food productivity, pesticide reduction, carbon balance, farmer knowledge, agricultural policy, environmental goods and services
- MeSH terms
- Agriculture, Animals, Animal Husbandry, Conservation of Natural Resources, Developing Countries, Environment, Food Supply, Humans, Pesticides, Ecosystem, Crops, Agricultural, Developed Countries
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