Multifunctional benefits of organic farming and hedgerow density

Research Highlight discussing: Boinot, S., Alignier, A., Aviron, S., Bertrand, C., Cheviron, N., Comment, G., Jeavons, E., Le Lann, C., Mondy, S., Mougin, C., Précigout, P.-A., Ricono, C., Robert, C., Saias, G., Vandenkoornhuyse, P., & Mony, C. (2024). Organic farming and semi-natural habitats for multifunctional agriculture: A case study in hedgerow landscapes of Brittany. Journal of Applied Ecology, https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14825. Agricultural expansion and intensification are key drivers of biodiversity loss. In search of more sustainable ways to produce food and conserve biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, the benefit of multiple local- and landscape-scale measures, and their interaction, has received a lot of attention. Yet to date few studies take on a holistic view and simultaneously evaluate multiple functions and benefits provided by these measures. In their multifunctionality assessment, Boinot et al. (2024) show that adoption of organic management as local-scale measure in winter cereals have positive effects on biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and economic performance, in spite of the significantly reduced food production. More hedgerow density resulted in some benefits, but clear interactions between organic management and hedgerow density in the wider landscape were rare and depended on the evaluated spatial scale. We argue that more taxa, functions and focus crops should be included in future studies. In addition, assessing a broader gradient in hedgerow density, and including other types of semi-natural habitat such as road verges, small forest patches and semi-natural grasslands, can lead to identification of more clear synergies between local- and landscape-scale measures. In sum, the study of Boinot et al. (2024) provides a compelling example of assessing how local and landscape-scale measures mediate multiple benefits.