Do smallholder, mixed crop-livestock livelihoods encourage sustainable agricultural practices? A meta-analysis

As calls for bolstering environmental services on croplands have grown more insistent during the past two decades, the search for ways to foster sustainable, reduced input agriculture has become more urgent. In this context we re-examine by means of a meta-analysis the argument, first proposed by Ro...

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Main Authors: Rudel, Thomas K., Kwon, Oh-Jung, Paul, Birthe K., Boval, Maryline, Rao, Idupulapati M., Burbano, Diana, McGroddy, Megan, Lerner, Amy M, White, Douglas, Cuchillo-Hilario, Mario, Peters, Michael
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: MDPI 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/70959
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author Rudel, Thomas K.
Kwon, Oh-Jung
Paul, Birthe K.
Boval, Maryline
Rao, Idupulapati M.
Burbano, Diana
McGroddy, Megan
Lerner, Amy M
White, Douglas
Cuchillo-Hilario, Mario
Peters, Michael
author_browse Boval, Maryline
Burbano, Diana
Cuchillo-Hilario, Mario
Kwon, Oh-Jung
Lerner, Amy M
McGroddy, Megan
Paul, Birthe K.
Peters, Michael
Rao, Idupulapati M.
Rudel, Thomas K.
White, Douglas
author_facet Rudel, Thomas K.
Kwon, Oh-Jung
Paul, Birthe K.
Boval, Maryline
Rao, Idupulapati M.
Burbano, Diana
McGroddy, Megan
Lerner, Amy M
White, Douglas
Cuchillo-Hilario, Mario
Peters, Michael
author_sort Rudel, Thomas K.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description As calls for bolstering environmental services on croplands have grown more insistent during the past two decades, the search for ways to foster sustainable, reduced input agriculture has become more urgent. In this context we re-examine by means of a meta-analysis the argument, first proposed by Robert McC. Netting, that small scale, mixed crop – livestock farming, a common livelihood among poor rural peoples, encourages environmentally sustainable agricultural practices. As predicted, mixed crop – livestock farms exhibit more sustainable practices, but, contrary to predictions, a small scale of operation does not predict sustainability. Unsustainable practices occur on small farms characterized by degrading, input scarce agriculture and on large farms characterized by industrialized, high chemical input agriculture. Sustainable practices occur on small farms that mix crops with livestock production, and they occur on large farms characterized by minimum tillage. The strength and pervasiveness of the link between mixed crop –livestock farming and sustainable agricultural practices in both developed and developing countries argues for agricultural policies that promote mixed crop – livestock livelihoods.
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spelling CGSpace709592025-03-13T09:44:06Z Do smallholder, mixed crop-livestock livelihoods encourage sustainable agricultural practices? A meta-analysis Rudel, Thomas K. Kwon, Oh-Jung Paul, Birthe K. Boval, Maryline Rao, Idupulapati M. Burbano, Diana McGroddy, Megan Lerner, Amy M White, Douglas Cuchillo-Hilario, Mario Peters, Michael sustainable agriculture conservation agriculture smallholders agroecology livestock agricultura sostenible agroecología ganado As calls for bolstering environmental services on croplands have grown more insistent during the past two decades, the search for ways to foster sustainable, reduced input agriculture has become more urgent. In this context we re-examine by means of a meta-analysis the argument, first proposed by Robert McC. Netting, that small scale, mixed crop – livestock farming, a common livelihood among poor rural peoples, encourages environmentally sustainable agricultural practices. As predicted, mixed crop – livestock farms exhibit more sustainable practices, but, contrary to predictions, a small scale of operation does not predict sustainability. Unsustainable practices occur on small farms characterized by degrading, input scarce agriculture and on large farms characterized by industrialized, high chemical input agriculture. Sustainable practices occur on small farms that mix crops with livestock production, and they occur on large farms characterized by minimum tillage. The strength and pervasiveness of the link between mixed crop –livestock farming and sustainable agricultural practices in both developed and developing countries argues for agricultural policies that promote mixed crop – livestock livelihoods. 2016-02-06 2016-02-08T18:52:58Z 2016-02-08T18:52:58Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/70959 en Open Access MDPI Rudel, Thomas K.; Kwon, Oh-Jung; Paul, Birthe K.; Boval, Maryline; Rao, Idupulapati Madhusudana; Burbano, Diana; McGroddy, Megan; Lerner, Amy M.; White, Douglas; Cuchillo, Mario; Peters, Michael. 2016. Do smallholder, mixed crop-livestock livelihoods encourage sustainable agricultural practices? A meta-analysis. Land 5(1), 6.
spellingShingle sustainable agriculture
conservation agriculture
smallholders
agroecology
livestock
agricultura sostenible
agroecología
ganado
Rudel, Thomas K.
Kwon, Oh-Jung
Paul, Birthe K.
Boval, Maryline
Rao, Idupulapati M.
Burbano, Diana
McGroddy, Megan
Lerner, Amy M
White, Douglas
Cuchillo-Hilario, Mario
Peters, Michael
Do smallholder, mixed crop-livestock livelihoods encourage sustainable agricultural practices? A meta-analysis
title Do smallholder, mixed crop-livestock livelihoods encourage sustainable agricultural practices? A meta-analysis
title_full Do smallholder, mixed crop-livestock livelihoods encourage sustainable agricultural practices? A meta-analysis
title_fullStr Do smallholder, mixed crop-livestock livelihoods encourage sustainable agricultural practices? A meta-analysis
title_full_unstemmed Do smallholder, mixed crop-livestock livelihoods encourage sustainable agricultural practices? A meta-analysis
title_short Do smallholder, mixed crop-livestock livelihoods encourage sustainable agricultural practices? A meta-analysis
title_sort do smallholder mixed crop livestock livelihoods encourage sustainable agricultural practices a meta analysis
topic sustainable agriculture
conservation agriculture
smallholders
agroecology
livestock
agricultura sostenible
agroecología
ganado
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/70959
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