title: Sustainable intensification of agriculture for human prosperity and global sustainability.
abstract: There is an ongoing debate on what constitutes sustainable intensification of agriculture (SIA). In this paper, we propose that a paradigm for sustainable intensification can be defined and translated into an operational framework for agricultural development. We argue that this paradigm must now be defined-at all scales-in the context of rapidly rising global environmental changes in the Anthropocene, while focusing on eradicating poverty and hunger and contributing to human wellbeing. The criteria and approach we propose, for a paradigm shift towards sustainable intensification of agriculture, integrates the dual and interdependent goals of using sustainable practices to meet rising human needs while contributing to resilience and sustainability of landscapes, the biosphere, and the Earth system. Both of these, in turn, are required to sustain the future viability of agriculture. This paradigm shift aims at repositioning world agriculture from its current role as the world's single largest driver of global environmental change, to becoming a key contributor of a global transition to a sustainable world within a safe operating space on Earth.
authors.affiliation: Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. johan.rockstrom@su.se.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rockström
authors.affiliation: Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, USA.
authors.forename: Gretchen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Daily
authors.affiliation: ICARDA, Amman, Jordan.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Noble
authors.affiliation: CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems, Battaramulla, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Nathanial
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.affiliation: Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Line
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.affiliation: Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wetterstrand
authors.affiliation: Bioversity International, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: DeClerck
authors.affiliation: Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Mihir
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.affiliation: FAO, Land and Water Division, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Steduto
authors.affiliation: Unesco-IHE, Delft, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Fraiture
authors.affiliation: Kilimo Trust, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Nuhu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hatibu
authors.affiliation: FAO, Land and Water Division, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Olcay
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Unver
authors.affiliation: IWMI, Battaramulla, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bird
authors.affiliation: FANRPAN, Pretoria, South Africa.
authors.forename: Lindiwe
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sibanda
authors.affiliation: ILRI, Nairobi, Kenya.
authors.forename: Jimmy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D057914:Agricultural Irrigation / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D002681:China; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D017753:Ecosystem; D005523:Food Supply / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D012931:Social Environment
keywords: Agriculture development; Anthropocene; Global sustainability; Livelihoods; Resilience; Sustainable intensification