Defining the sustainability of high-yield farming

November 2018: A recent Cambridge study compares high-yield farming with low-intensity farming methods and concludes that high-yield farming can be more sustainable if land use reduces and unused farmland is re-forested.

Information

A recent study conducted by Andrew Balmford (Cambridge University) compares high-yield with low-intensity farming practices. The study is uses the amount of food each method is producing to compare the sustainability footprint for Asian paddy rice, European wheat, Latin American beef, and European dairy. It concludes that by yield, high-intensity farming is more sustainable than previously thought due to an overall reduction in land use. The study points out that the sustainability benefits are only realised if the surplus farmland is rewilded.  

Applicability

The study’s results are contentious regarding their impact on farming practices and agricultural policies. There is concern that the study is advocating agricultural intensification, which favours big-agribusinesses and is contrary to the ‘greener’ agricultural practices being promoted by others. It is is also challenging from a policy perspective since it may require some farmers to farm intensively whilst others become managers of wild land. Further, the study underlines the need for greater consensus around methodologies, measuring frameworks, and terminology within the field of ‘sustainable agriculture’.

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