Landscape complexity as determined by socioeconomic trends, climate change, and broad agricultural policies: A study on multifunctional landscapes

Food systems face dire challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource overuse. To ensure their long-term sustainability and resilience they need urgent transformation, while continuing to support livelihoods and address rising food insecurity. The design and management of mult...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Cenacchi, Nicola, Petsakos, Athanasios, Robertson, Richard D., Song, Chun, Mishra, Abhijeet
Format: Artículo preliminar
Language:Inglés
Published: International Food Policy Research Institute 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/175363
_version_ 1855522815494586368
author Cenacchi, Nicola
Petsakos, Athanasios
Robertson, Richard D.
Song, Chun
Mishra, Abhijeet
author_browse Cenacchi, Nicola
Mishra, Abhijeet
Petsakos, Athanasios
Robertson, Richard D.
Song, Chun
author_facet Cenacchi, Nicola
Petsakos, Athanasios
Robertson, Richard D.
Song, Chun
Mishra, Abhijeet
author_sort Cenacchi, Nicola
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Food systems face dire challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource overuse. To ensure their long-term sustainability and resilience they need urgent transformation, while continuing to support livelihoods and address rising food insecurity. The design and management of multifunctional agricultural landscapes offer a pathway to address these challenges; and improved understanding of landscape complexity, including a diverse mix of natural and cropland covers, can help advance achievement of multiple food system goals. As land managers and decision makers plan for the future of our landscapes, they need to recognize that powerful forces outside their control will have a strong influence on the final outcome. This study explores the interplay between global drivers—such as population growth, economic trends, climate change—and landscape complexity, using a modeling system linking a global agricultural economic model to a land-use model. Global trends are described, and Kenya serves as a case study, representing broader local dynamics. Results indicate that the majority of agricultural landscapes, globally and in Kenya, are projected to experience increased complexity by 2050, primarily through cropland expansion at the expense of natural habitats. However, there are a few instances where an expansion in cropland may be liked to a decrease in landscape complexity. Patterns also vary under alternative scenarios of agricultural development. Where greater complexity is achieved through policies that further concentrate agricultural land in some areas, this is mainly associated with net gains in natural habitats and a contraction of cropland. Overall, this preliminary research underscores the need for integrated landscape management and more comprehensive scenarios to inform sustainable land-use planning aligned with global food security and environmental objectives.
format Artículo preliminar
id CGSpace175363
institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 2025
publishDateRange 2025
publishDateSort 2025
publisher International Food Policy Research Institute
publisherStr International Food Policy Research Institute
record_format dspace
spelling CGSpace1753632025-11-06T05:58:17Z Landscape complexity as determined by socioeconomic trends, climate change, and broad agricultural policies: A study on multifunctional landscapes Cenacchi, Nicola Petsakos, Athanasios Robertson, Richard D. Song, Chun Mishra, Abhijeet landscape socioeconomics climate change agricultural policies land-use change modelling Food systems face dire challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource overuse. To ensure their long-term sustainability and resilience they need urgent transformation, while continuing to support livelihoods and address rising food insecurity. The design and management of multifunctional agricultural landscapes offer a pathway to address these challenges; and improved understanding of landscape complexity, including a diverse mix of natural and cropland covers, can help advance achievement of multiple food system goals. As land managers and decision makers plan for the future of our landscapes, they need to recognize that powerful forces outside their control will have a strong influence on the final outcome. This study explores the interplay between global drivers—such as population growth, economic trends, climate change—and landscape complexity, using a modeling system linking a global agricultural economic model to a land-use model. Global trends are described, and Kenya serves as a case study, representing broader local dynamics. Results indicate that the majority of agricultural landscapes, globally and in Kenya, are projected to experience increased complexity by 2050, primarily through cropland expansion at the expense of natural habitats. However, there are a few instances where an expansion in cropland may be liked to a decrease in landscape complexity. Patterns also vary under alternative scenarios of agricultural development. Where greater complexity is achieved through policies that further concentrate agricultural land in some areas, this is mainly associated with net gains in natural habitats and a contraction of cropland. Overall, this preliminary research underscores the need for integrated landscape management and more comprehensive scenarios to inform sustainable land-use planning aligned with global food security and environmental objectives. 2025-06-27 2025-06-27T20:37:20Z 2025-06-27T20:37:20Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/175363 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Cenacchi, Nicola; Petsakos, Athanasios; Robertson, Richard D.; Song, Chun; and Mishra, Abhijeet. 2025. Landscape complexity as determined by socioeconomic trends, climate change, and broad agricultural policies: A study on multifunctional landscapes. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2343. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/175363
spellingShingle landscape
socioeconomics
climate change
agricultural policies
land-use change
modelling
Cenacchi, Nicola
Petsakos, Athanasios
Robertson, Richard D.
Song, Chun
Mishra, Abhijeet
Landscape complexity as determined by socioeconomic trends, climate change, and broad agricultural policies: A study on multifunctional landscapes
title Landscape complexity as determined by socioeconomic trends, climate change, and broad agricultural policies: A study on multifunctional landscapes
title_full Landscape complexity as determined by socioeconomic trends, climate change, and broad agricultural policies: A study on multifunctional landscapes
title_fullStr Landscape complexity as determined by socioeconomic trends, climate change, and broad agricultural policies: A study on multifunctional landscapes
title_full_unstemmed Landscape complexity as determined by socioeconomic trends, climate change, and broad agricultural policies: A study on multifunctional landscapes
title_short Landscape complexity as determined by socioeconomic trends, climate change, and broad agricultural policies: A study on multifunctional landscapes
title_sort landscape complexity as determined by socioeconomic trends climate change and broad agricultural policies a study on multifunctional landscapes
topic landscape
socioeconomics
climate change
agricultural policies
land-use change
modelling
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/175363
work_keys_str_mv AT cenacchinicola landscapecomplexityasdeterminedbysocioeconomictrendsclimatechangeandbroadagriculturalpoliciesastudyonmultifunctionallandscapes
AT petsakosathanasios landscapecomplexityasdeterminedbysocioeconomictrendsclimatechangeandbroadagriculturalpoliciesastudyonmultifunctionallandscapes
AT robertsonrichardd landscapecomplexityasdeterminedbysocioeconomictrendsclimatechangeandbroadagriculturalpoliciesastudyonmultifunctionallandscapes
AT songchun landscapecomplexityasdeterminedbysocioeconomictrendsclimatechangeandbroadagriculturalpoliciesastudyonmultifunctionallandscapes
AT mishraabhijeet landscapecomplexityasdeterminedbysocioeconomictrendsclimatechangeandbroadagriculturalpoliciesastudyonmultifunctionallandscapes