In agriculture, intensification of production is 15 years ahead of forestry. The literature differentiates between sustainable farming, and sustainable intensification. Sustainable farming aims at a system where natural, social & human capital are not depleted by farming; Sustainable Intensification (SI) is production focused, aiming to increase production without depleting this capital. Increasingly, in agriculture, there is a call to consider the entire food chain, incorporating social and environmental safeguards. It is argued that achieving food security needs to go beyond a narrow focus on crop yields; there are concerns about wider sustainability that includes human well-being comprised of good nutrition, and healthy consumption patterns, as well as equitable distribution of food. Thus, optimal food production should also change consumption culture and not just increase production.
Did intensification in agriculture bring the expected ‘more from less’? The origins of SI lie in discussions about increasing yields, in the face of resource scarcity and environmental challenges. Is there a definition of SI that clarifies the logic on which it rests and the context and conditions within which it should be implemented?
