Do Smallholder, Mixed Crop-Livestock Livelihoods Encourage Sustainable Agricultural Practices? A Meta-Analysis

• Main Authors: Thomas K. Rudel, Oh-Jung Kwon, Birthe K. Paul, Maryline Boval, Idupulapati M. Rao, Diana Burbano, Megan McGroddy, Amy M. Lerner, Douglas White, Mario Cuchillo, Manuel Luna, Michael Peters
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2016-02-01
• Series: Land
• Subjects: mixed crop-livestock farming; sustainable agriculture; conservation agriculture; smallholders; agro-ecology
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/5/1/6

As calls for bolstering ecosystem services from croplands have grown more insistent during the past two decades, the search for ways to foster these agriculture-sustaining services has become more urgent. In this context we examine by means of a meta-analysis the argument, proposed by Robert McC. Netting, that small-scale, mixed crop-livestock farming, a common livelihood among poor rural peoples, leads to 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. Many smallholders on mixed crop-livestock farms use sustainable practices, but other smallholders practice a degrading, input-scarce agriculture. Some large farm operators use soil-conserving, minimum-tillage techniques while other large operators ignore soil-conserving techniques and practice an industrialized, high chemical input agriculture. The strength and pervasiveness of the link in the data between mixed crop-livestock farming and sustainable agricultural practices argues for agricultural policies that promote mixed crop-livestock livelihoods.