Sustainable intensification for improving the ecosystem services in rainfed agriculture

Abstract

Rainfed agriculture has to produce more food, fodder and income from uncertain rainfall while maintaining the soil, water and biological resources that sustain production. Sustainable intensification offers a pathway to achieve this balance by improving the efficiency of land, water, nutrients and biological resources rather than simply increasing external inputs. Rainwater conservation, crop diversification, soil-cover management, efficient nutrient use, agroforestry and integrated farming systems can simultaneously improve productivity and strengthen ecosystem functions. The TEEBAgriFood framework can help guide this transition by broadening the assessment of agricultural performance to capture how farming practices affect the natural, produced, human and social capital on which rainfed livelihoods depend. The future of rainfed agriculture lies in producing more from every drop of rain and every hectare of land while safeguarding the resource base and resilience needed for sustained production.