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Sustainable Intensification (SI) integrates innovations and practices from the fields of ecology, genetics and socio-economics to build environmentally sustainable, equitable, productive and resilient ecosystems that improve the well-being of farms, farmers and families. SI offers a practical pathway towards the goal of producing more food whilst ensuring the natural resource base on which agriculture depends is sustained, and indeed improved, for future generations.

According to the Montpellier Panel reports “Sustainable Intensification: A New Paradigm for African Agriculture” and “Innovation for Sustainable Intensification in Africa,” SI includes three mutually reinforcing pillars: Ecological Intensification, Genetic Intensification and Socio-Economic Intensification.

Each pillar is broken into three approaches, with 27 sub-sections, 81 accompanying case studies and additional resources to illustrate the pros and cons of each method. The explanations and case studies are intended to serve as a resource for donors, practitioners and policy-makers alike, offering insights on defining SI, innovating within SI and facilitating open sharing of knowledge on these subjects. For more information about the SI Database, please read our FAQ or look at our infographic.