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Ecological intensification – using land and resources in ways that minimizes negative ecosystem impacts while maintaining agricultural productivity – is often viewed as a way to sustainably increase crop yields.
To explore the practical application of ecological intensification, a six-year study of a large commercial farm in the United Kingdom assessed how using land for wildlife habitat affected food crops. The study, published by the Royal Society, Wildlife-Friendly Farming Increases Crop Yield: Evidence for Ecological Intensification, shows that it is possible to remove up to 8% of land from production and maintain (and in some cases increase) yield.