This study argues there is a productivity stability trade-off in agricultural systems and the historic drive for productivity and lack of diversity threatens future crop production stability. It concludes that strategies to promote diverse landscapes and crops are critical to food production. 

The systematic literature review explores methodologies of peer-reviewed trade-off analysis (TOA) articles in agriculture, finding that this research prioritises productivity and profit maximisation while disregarding risk, social and cultural indicators. The authors conclude that this reduces the effectiveness of TOA in holistic food systems policymaking and recommend a wider integration of indicators, scale, stakeholder involvement and risk in TOA methodology to enhance its use to policy and decision-makers to promote sustainable agricultural landscapes.

This paper critiques the narrative of soil carbon sequestration as a win-win solution offering climate mitigation as well as improving multiple “soil functions” such as fertility, biodiversity and water retention. It argues that accounting for the likely saturation of soil organic carbon over time significantly reduces the estimated potential contribution of soil carbon sequestration to climate mitigation. Furthermore, it finds that the literature does not show a general positive association between soil organic carbon sequestration and improved crop yields - rather, the effects on yields can be positive, neutral or negative depending on the situation.

The global availability of food calories for people could increase by 13%, and protein supply could increase by 15%, if livestock were fed more by-products and residues in place of some feed that is edible to humans, specifically cereals, pulses, vegetable oils and whole fish. This study combines data from several sources to trace feed composition throughout the global food system.

TABLE community member Matthew Jordon has co-authored this study, which finds that two practices linked to regenerative agriculture are linked to higher productivity: rotational grazing, where animals are frequently moved around pastures to allow areas to recover from grazing, and herbal leys, where multiple species of perennial flowering plants are grown as part of the pasture. The study focuses on sheep and cattle in temperature climates, and analyses data from 84 articles identified in the literature.

Focusing on dairy cattle, this book explains the factors contributing to animal welfare, makes the business case for improving welfare, and sets out case studies linking welfare to increased productivity.

This report from the World Resources Institute discusses how agriculture in Denmark can become carbon neutral, in line with the net zero commitments made by many Danish agricultural organisations. It stresses the need to continuously improve agricultural technologies by supporting cooperation between researchers, farmers and businesses.