Soil fertility, crop biodiversity, and farmers’ revenues: Evidence from Italy
Open Access
- 17 September 2016
- journal article
- other
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in AMBIO
- Vol. 46 (2), 162-172
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-016-0812-7
Abstract
This paper analyzes the interplay between soil fertility, crop biodiversity, and farmers’ revenues. We use a large, original, farm-level panel dataset. Findings indicate that both crop biodiversity and soil fertility have positive effects on farmers’ revenues. It is also shown that crop biodiversity and soil fertility may act as substitutes. These results provide evidence for the important role of diversity in the resilience of agroecosystems. Crop diversification can be a potential strategy to support productivity when soils are less fertile.Keywords
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