Sustainable Intensification – Lessons from Africa for the Corn Belt and Beyond.

There is urgent need to understand ecological principles and practices that promote sustainable intensification for system resilience – particularly for rain-fed agriculture. Lessons from two decades of experience in Africa will be presented. Neglect of the environmental services associated with mixed planting arrangements and perennial traits are putting field crop production at risk, from Malawi to Michigan. Through action research and interdisciplinary approaches we have documented some of the missing pieces that have unforeseen consequences. This includes an emphasis on annual traits in crop production that has put at risk the sustainability of corn and soybean systems.