Farming practices that can simultaneously boost food production, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve soil health have been identified in an international study.
The research presents a “triple goal” framework that brings together a range of cropping and agronomic strategies to improve both agricultural outcomes and environmental sustainability.
The study published in The Innovation was co-authored by Hackett Professor Kadambot Siddique, Director of The University of Western Australia’s Institute of Agriculture, in collaboration with research partners from China, Switzerland, the US, Canada, Morocco, Spain and the UK.
Drawing on more than 39,000 field comparisons across 104 meta-analyses, the study found practices such as legume and cereal intercropping, organic amendments and precision nutrient management can increase yields while reducing environmental footprint.
A key finding was that legume-cereal intercropping can significantly enhance system productivity while also lowering fertiliser use and greenhouse gas emissions. When combined with carbon dioxide fertilisation and biofertilisation, emissions reductions of up to 50 per cent are possible.
The study found enhancing interactions between plants, soils and microbes can boost agroecosystem resilience by 15 to 40 per cent, which makes farming systems more adaptive to climate stress and supports long-term productivity.
Second order meta-analysis allowed the researchers to synthesise a vast body of global research, offering practical, evidence-based solutions for interlinked food system challenges.
The study called for coordinated policy reform, farmer education and investment to support the adoption of integrated strategies in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the One Health initiative.
“We cannot continue to treat food production, climate change and soil degradation as separate problems — they are deeply linked and so are the solutions,” Professor Siddique said.
“The broad adoption of the ‘triple-goal’ framework provides a strategic roadmap for transforming agrifood production globally, ensuring healthy soils, affordable and nutritious food and reduced environmental footprint.”