Increased crop yields: In the United States, agronomists compared maize fields planted as monocultures to those with various levels of intercropping. It was the fields with the highest diversity (three crops plus three “cover” crops) that produced the highest yield—by more than 100%[4].
Richer, more fertile soil: A 21-year study of European farms showed that organic fertilizers offer better soil stability, greater fertility, and higher biodiversity (including earthworms and more microbes) than soils fertilized synthetically[5].
Sustainable fertilizers: A meta-analysis of data from 77 published studies suggests that legumes used as green manures can provide enough nitrogen to replace the entire amount of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer currently in use—without losses in food production[1].
Resilience to pests: Scientists and farmers in Yunnan, China, used biodiverse farming to reverse “rice blast”, the fungus that is the primary cause of disease in rice plants. Disease-susceptible rice varieties inter-planted with resistant varieties had an 89% greater yield. The incidence of disease was 94% lower compared to that of conventional monoculture[6].
Cost-efficient farming: In Andhra Pradesh, India, ecological farming helped increase farmers’ net incomes. Savings on chemical pesticides ranged between 600 and 6,000 Indian Rupees (USD $15-150) per hectare—while crop yields remained stable