Sustainable Intensification in Agriculture: A Review of Focus Areas, Approaches, and Constraints

Abstract

The necessity to feed a growing population, coupled with the limited availability of arable land and the need to preserve natural resources, raises the need for Sustainable Intensification (SI) in agriculture. Over the past two decades, the use of SI in research and policy has grown significantly in response to these challenges.SI consists of a wide range of practices and this study reviews Sustainable Intensification (SI) in Agriculture by analysing a previously developed conceptual framework that identifies four key focus areas: land use, structural optimization, farm-level strategies, and regional approaches. To clearly understand the concept and to identify potential development paths, SI needs research combining several academic disciplines, such as agricultural science, ecology, economics, and rural studies. This review evaluates different farming systems contributing to SI, such as mixed crop-livestock systems, organic farming, conservation agriculture, climate-smart agriculture, smart farming, and the System of Rice Intensification. Additionally, the review explores SI from multiple disciplinary perspectives, examining its application from plant and field levels to landscape, regional, and global scales. It highlights SI’s benefits in boosting productivity, resilience, and resource efficiency while addressing environmental concerns. However, challenges such as unclear theoretical foundations, economic and institutional barriers, and criticisms of SI’s true impact remain. To overcome these, the review emphasizes the need for integrated food system strategies, improved infrastructure, and stronger policies. Future research should address theoretical gaps and promote inclusive, context-specific SI approaches. This paper is an umbrella review that seeks to define SI by examining its concept, key contributors, influencing factors, constraints and priority research areas.