The ecological and socioeconomic sustainability of organic agroforestry: a systematic review

Abstract

Organic agriculture and agroforestry are two agroecological approaches that have been proposed to address the many negative externalities of intensive agriculture.However, their comparative efficiency in promoting sustainability when combined is unclear, as they are typically studied in isolation. To address this we conducted a systematic review of comparative studies addressing organic versus conventional agroforestry and their monocultural counterparts. We conducted a content analysis resulting in an impact matrix utilizing seven broad categories encompassing ecological, socioeconomic and environmental aspects of sustainability. By analyzing these impact categories separately, it is possible to highlight the distinct advantages and issues in organic agroforestry systems over alternative systems, as well as the potential for multifunctionality. Research in organic agroforestry is strongly biased towards South American Cocoa and Coffee, but, in spite of this, evidence thus far suggests that organic agroforestry has many advantages across all categories studied and few drawbacks; the main one being yield of single crops. A large number of comparisons yielded neutral outcomes, suggesting that there are a limited set of trade-offs associated with organic agroforestry, many of which may be attenuated by altering management and market conditions. We conclude by highlighting key research areas in organic agroforestry which need to be addressed including: the differing ways of quantifying yield, staple crops and expanding the geographic range of studies.

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