Several recent influential reports (for example, Royal Society, 2009; Foresight, 2011) have suggested that, in response to expected food shortages and ongoing environmental degradation, a policy of sustainable intensification of agriculture should be pursued. Such a policy would involve producing more food without expanding the area under cultivation and without adverse environmental impact. This is in many respects a new way of approaching food production, which will require scientific innovation and technology adoption, but also an appropriate policy framework to elicit an appropriate response in appropriate locations to secure other ecosystem services (Godfray et al, 2010).
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