Summary
This 4-year replicated field study across 17 English farms compared conventional agriculture with two agroecological systems designed to support ecosystem services through wildflower margins, cover crops, increased soil organic matter, and in-field invertebrate strips. Agroecological systems significantly increased soil carbon, predation, pollination services and beneficial invertebrate populations, and boosted cereal and oilseed rape yields, but economic losses from reduced productive land and establishment costs prevented profitability except in the moderate intervention system when agri-environmental subsidies were applied. The findings demonstrate a fundamental economic barrier to widespread adoption of more sustainable farming practices within conventional market structures.
UK applicability
The study was conducted entirely in England under current UK farming conditions and policy frameworks, making findings directly applicable to UK arable farmers and agri-environmental subsidy policy design. Results suggest that transition to agroecological systems requires either substantial subsidy support or fundamental changes to the economic incentives facing UK farmers, informing debates around post-CAP agricultural policy.
Key measures
Soil carbon stocks, predation and pollination ecosystem services, earthworm and beneficial invertebrate populations, pest snail biomass, aphid numbers, cereal and oilseed rape yields, farm profitability, establishment costs, and response to agri-environmental subsidy payments
Outcomes reported
The study measured crop yield, profitability, soil carbon stocks, ecosystem services (predation and pollination), beneficial invertebrate populations, and pest biomass across three farming management systems over 4 years on 17 English farms. It assessed whether agroecological practices could maintain yields and farm viability whilst supporting biodiversity and regulating services.
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