Drive for production weakens resilience of farming systems: study [Video]

The drive for greater productivity in agriculture has led to an unprecedented level of food security for much of the world.

But according to an article published by the journal Nature in September, that has come at the expense of environmental stability, making it more difficult to sustain high productivity.

Why it matters: Biodiversity loss negatively affects farming systems over time. Experts say improving biodiversity would make agricultural systems more resilient and potentially less expensive for farmers.

The authors say future agricultural systems must account for this trade-off and address humans’ historical tendency to prioritize production above all else.

The article, “The productivity-stability trade-off in global food systems”, analyzes a wide breadth of humans’ …