Syntropic farming systems for reconciling productivity, ecosystem functions, and restoration
Abstract
Inspired by the succession and vertical stratification found in nature, syntropic farming systems (SFS) incorporate annual and perennial plants in diversified farming systems. Numerous practice examples show the potential of SFS to enhance agroecosystems via optimised design and active management. Yet, scientific knowledge on SFS remains scarce, especially in the temperate zone. We compiled findings on the outcomes and enablers of SFS from 67 studies comprising diverse SFS designs-mainly from tropical countries-that have the potential to be implemented in temperate agricultural landscapes. Most studies highlight the high agrobiodiversity, nutritional diversity, and yield quality of SFS. Comparing the productivity of SFS with other farming systems shows mixed results. Carbon storage, soil fertility, water cycling, climate resilience, and plant health appear favourable in SFS across widely varying cropping systems and environments. SFS can also provide meaningful and dignified work. Nevertheless, remaining obstacles include high labour demand, intensive knowledge requirements, availability of tools and machines for SFS, and a lack of enabling policies. Efforts should focus on harnessing SFS to address the escalating socioecological crises in agri-food systems worldwide, including those of intensively managed cropland systems in the temperate zone where SFS systems could help to redesign agricultural landscapes.
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BibTeX
@article{jacobi2026syntropic,
title = {{Syntropic farming systems for reconciling productivity, ecosystem functions, and restoration}},
author = {Johanna Jacobi and Christian Andrès and Farhah Assaad and Stéphane Bellon and Xavier Coquil and Sebastian Doetterl and Dayana Naimid Esnarriaga and Diana Ortiz-Vallejo and Cyrille Rigolot and Johanna Rüegg and Sylvain Takerkart and Martin Trouillard and Boris Vilter and Janina Dierks},
journal = {Lancet Planetary Health},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1016/s2542-5196(25)00047-6},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05742781v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Syntropic farming systems for reconciling productivity, ecosystem functions, and restoration
AU - Johanna Jacobi
AU - Christian Andrès
AU - Farhah Assaad
AU - Stéphane Bellon
AU - Xavier Coquil
AU - Sebastian Doetterl
AU - Dayana Naimid Esnarriaga
AU - Diana Ortiz-Vallejo
AU - Cyrille Rigolot
AU - Johanna Rüegg
AU - Sylvain Takerkart
AU - Martin Trouillard
AU - Boris Vilter
AU - Janina Dierks
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/08
JO - Lancet Planetary Health
DO - 10.1016/s2542-5196(25)00047-6
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05742781v1
AB - Inspired by the succession and vertical stratification found in nature, syntropic farming systems (SFS) incorporate annual and perennial plants in diversified farming systems. Numerous practice examples show the potential of SFS to enhance agroecosystems via optimised design and active management. Yet, scientific knowledge on SFS remains scarce, especially in the temperate zone. We compiled findings on the outcomes and enablers of SFS from 67 studies comprising diverse SFS designs-mainly from tropical countries-that have the potential to be implemented in temperate agricultural landscapes. Most studies highlight the high agrobiodiversity, nutritional diversity, and yield quality of SFS. Comparing the productivity of SFS with other farming systems shows mixed results. Carbon storage, soil fertility, water cycling, climate resilience, and plant health appear favourable in SFS across widely varying cropping systems and environments. SFS can also provide meaningful and dignified work. Nevertheless, remaining obstacles include high labour demand, intensive knowledge requirements, availability of tools and machines for SFS, and a lack of enabling policies. Efforts should focus on harnessing SFS to address the escalating socioecological crises in agri-food systems worldwide, including those of intensively managed cropland systems in the temperate zone where SFS systems could help to redesign agricultural landscapes.
SN - 2542-5196
SN - 2542-5196
ER -