A groundbreaking four-year investigation into agroecological farming has revealed that nature-friendly agricultural practices boost both biodiversity and crop yields, yet may require governmental subsidies to be economically viable compared to conventional intensive farming. Spearheaded by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) in collaboration with Rothamsted Research, this extensive study represents the first comprehensive evaluation of agroecological methods on working farms across the UK.
The research encompassed 17 commercial farms in southern England, employing a robust experimental framework that contrasted three distinct agricultural systems. The baseline, or business-as-usual approach, reflected conventional intensive agriculture devoid of ecological enhancements. An intermediate or ‘enhanced’ ecological system implemented wildflower field margins alongside overwintering cover crops designed for nutrient retention and carbon sequestration in soils. The most ambitious, or ‘maximised’ ecological system, integrated all measures from the enhanced setup, additionally planting in-field wildflower strips and applying organic amendments such as farmyard manure to enrich soil health.
Results dramatically underscored the symbiotic relationship between biodiversity and crop productivity. Both ecological systems fostered substantial increases in abundance and diversity of earthworms, pollinators—including bees and hoverflies—and natural predator arthropods such as ladybirds and lacewings. Such biological enrichment translated into significant reductions in pest populations, particularly aphids and gastropod mollusks, culminating in enhanced pollination services that elevated seed set and yield in flowering crops like oilseed rape.
Soil health indicators corroborated these ecological benefits, with higher levels of soil organic carbon recorded in agroecologically managed fields. Improved soil structure, nutrient cycling, and enhanced microfaunal activity further augmented crop resilience and productivity. Notably, the intermediate enhanced system achieved profitability on par with intensive agriculture, but this equilibrium hinged on the availability of agri-environmental subsidies to offset initial investments and habitat establishment costs.
The maximised system, while delivering even greater ecological and yield benefits, generally incurred higher operational costs. In most cases, financial viability demanded elevated subsidies, although exceptions arose in farms with existing access to organic inputs like manure, which mitigated expenditure. These findings emphasize the crucial role of fiscal incentives in facilitating farm transitions toward sustainability by mitigating short-term economic constraints.
Crucially, the lead ecologist Dr. Ben Woodcock highlighted the policy implications of the study. Without strategic financial mechanisms to reward ecological stewardship, many farmers may be reluctant to forsake entrenched intensive methods. Such reticence risks perpetuating systems vulnerable to pesticide resistance, soil degradation, and climate instability. Conversely, fostering agroecological practices promises to ‘future-proof’ farms by enhancing soil vitality, reducing chemical dependencies, and building resilience against environmental perturbations.
Co-author Professor Jonathan Storkey from Rothamsted stressed the dual advantage of wildlife-friendly management for agricultural landscapes. The ecosystem services—pollination, pest regulation, and soil enhancement—cultivated by agroecological practices represent sustainable substitutes for synthetic agrochemicals, aligning food security with environmental conservation imperatives. Yet the narrow profit margins typical in modern farming underscore the necessity for tailored support measures as input costs escalate globally.
Beyond financial frameworks, the study illuminated the importance of farmer education and experiential learning in optimizing habitat quality. Training programs empowered producers to establish and maintain wildlife-supportive habitats effectively, maximizing benefits for beneficial insect populations. Prior research by UKCEH corroborated that such capacity building elevates the ecological function of field margins, thereby amplifying pest control and pollination services.
This multi-institutional study formed part of a larger collaborative network spanning government, academia, and industry, integrated under research initiatives like the ASSIST and AgZero+ programs. Funded by prominent bodies including the Natural Environment Research Council and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the work embodies cutting-edge efforts to reconcile agricultural productivity with ecological integrity at landscape scales.
As global agriculture grapples with escalating environmental and economic challenges, these findings underscore a pivotal paradigm shift. Agroecological farming, underpinned by supportive policy, scientific insight, and practical skill development, emerges as a viable pathway to simultaneously bolster biodiversity, enhance crop yields, and safeguard farm livelihoods in an uncertain climatic future.
Farmers, policymakers, and conservationists alike are urged to consider these insights when envisioning sustainable food systems. Grounding agricultural innovation in ecological processes not only underwrites ecosystem resilience but also advances the urgent agenda of feeding a growing global population within Earth’s planetary boundaries.
Subject of Research: Agroecological farming practices and their impacts on biodiversity, crop yield, and farm profitability.
Article Title: Agroecological farming promotes yield and biodiversity but may require subsidy to be profitable
News Publication Date: 1 July 2025
Web References:
https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.70079
References:
Woodcock et al. 2025. Agroecological farming promotes yield and biodiversity but may require subsidy to be profitable. Journal of Applied Ecology. DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.70079
Image Credits: UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH)
Keywords: Sustainable agriculture, agroecology, biodiversity, pollination, pest control, soil carbon, crop yield, ecosystem services, ecological restoration, insecticide resistance, agroecosystems, conservation ecology
