Solutions for a cultivated planet

This research paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute addresses the conflict between increasing global food demand and the environmental degradation caused by current agricultural systems, proposing a set of strategies to increase production while reducing ecological footprints.

• Current global agricultural systems are characterized by a paradox where approximately one billion people suffer from chronic malnourishment while the systems themselves cause global degradation of climate, biodiversity, water, and land.
• To achieve future sustainability and food security, it is necessary to substantially increase food production while simultaneously and dramatically shrinking the environmental footprint of agriculture.
• A combination of five strategies—halting agricultural expansion, closing yield gaps on underperforming lands, increasing cropping efficiency, shifting diets, and reducing waste—could potentially double food production and significantly lower environmental impacts.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2011). Solutions for a cultivated planet. https://www.sei.org/publications/solutions-for-a-cultivated-planet/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Solutions for a cultivated planet. 2011. https://www.sei.org/publications/solutions-for-a-cultivated-planet/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Solutions for a cultivated planet |date=13 October 2011 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/solutions-for-a-cultivated-planet/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2011solutions, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Solutions for a cultivated planet}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2011}, month = oct, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/solutions-for-a-cultivated-planet/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }