In the review, Pretty highlighted possible approaches to achieving sustainable intensification of farming.
Since the 'Green Revolution' of the mid-1900s, agricultural food production, as well as the productivity of agricultural land, had increased drastically, driven by the demands of an ever-growing population.
According to Pretty, however, much of this intensification was due to increased use of chemical inputs – pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers – which, along with related agricultural impacts like soil degradation or groundwater decline, led to collateral environmental damage.
A process called Sustainable Intensification aimed to increase yields while also improving the surrounding environment by making better use of natural, social and technological resources.
The author suggested the need for effective Sustainable Intensification was urgent worldwide but would require a transformational redesign of agro-ecological systems.
One such approach would be to integrate pest management into these systems, which would minimize costs, maximise yield, and ensure ecosystem and environmental enhancement by reducing the widespread use of pesticides.
Pretty said redesigns such as this would be a process of adaptation and require cooperation and knowledge sharing across many stakeholders, including scientists and farmers.