Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 1 — Meta-analysis / systematic reviewPeer-reviewed

A global meta-analysis of yield stability in organic and conservation agriculture

Ponisio L C, M'Gonigle L K, Mace K C, Palomino J, de Valpine P, Kremen C

Nature Plants · 2016

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Summary

This global meta-analysis synthesised data from multiple field studies to evaluate yield stability across organic, conservation, and conventional agriculture systems. The authors likely found that yield stability varies contextually between farming approaches, with implications for food security and farming system resilience. The work contributes to understanding whether transitions away from conventional agriculture necessarily incur stability costs or may offer comparable or improved consistency.

UK applicability

Findings on organic and conservation agriculture yield stability are directly relevant to UK policy discussions around sustainable intensification and organic farming expansion. However, UK-specific soil, climate, and management contexts may differ from the global average, so local field trial data should complement these findings in informing UK agricultural strategy.

Key measures

Yield stability metrics; yield variability across time and space; comparison of coefficient of variation and other stability indices between farming systems

Outcomes reported

The study quantitatively compared yield stability (variability over time and space) between organic agriculture, conservation agriculture, and conventional farming systems using a global dataset of field trials. It examined whether alternative farming systems demonstrate greater or lesser yield consistency relative to conventional practices.

Theme
Farming systems, soils & land use
Subject
Comparative farming systems performance and stability
Study type
Meta-analysis
Study design
Meta-analysis
Source type
Peer-reviewed study
Status
Published
Geography
Global
System type
Mixed arable and cropping systems
DOI
10.1038/nplants.2014.30
Catalogue ID
CGmo9ys2f5-c5ksgb

Topic tags

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