Organic farming of cereal-legume intercrops for food security

Agriculture faces two major issues worldwide, producing safe food without the use of toxic pesticides, and producing more food to meet the projected population increase of 9 billion by 2050. Ecological intensification is a promising solution because ecosystem services such as the use of natural enemies to kill undesired pests is a safe alternative to pesticides. Agonomists Bedoussac et al. reviewed the results of 58 organic farming experiments of cereal-grain legume intercropping in Europe. They found that intercropping gives higher yields, protein and money that sole crops.

 

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