Introduction
Today as well, agriculture is the cornerstone of world food security, providing most of human demand for food, fibre and fuel. Aside from its central position in production, agriculture is also inextricably intertwined with biodiversity and ecosystem health and function. Agricultural landscapes are composed of an assemblage of heterogeneous other and plant species in agrobiodiversity, which harbor a reservoir of potential for biological diversity and ecological services for resilience and sustainability. Monoculture farming, farming of single crops over a particular piece of land usually with regard to land efficiency utilization and highest yield obtained within a short period for the sake of direct economic benefits, is farmed throughout the world, since it will be more productive and produce high output (Kaur, S., 2024). Conversely, polyculture farming practices combine varied crop species in a single place at the same time or in sequence, which resemble natural associations between plants and animals. Such early systems subsequently develop into agrobiodiversity, i.e., organisational diversity and variation of agroecosystems and ecosystem services, i.e., services received from nature. Carefully observing that deeper insights into the two systems have the potential or can drive sustainable agricultural growth towards environmentally resilient as well as sustainable food security.
Theoretical Background
Extended monoculture after the Industrial Revolution with mechanization facilitating specializing intensive crop output. The acceleration took place during mid-20th century Green Revolution with technological advancements in high-yielding varieties and chemical agro-inputs to achieve gigantic uniform cropping systems worldwide. While innovation amazingly enhanced production, it introduced ecological simplification with the cost of adverse environmental impacts. They, however, draw their foundation in indigenous and pre-modern agriculture that co-evolved with natural ecosystems and was organized to achieve productivity alongside ecological integrity. Subsequent agroecological re-emergence of polyculture occurred in agroecology centered on sustainability, improved ecosystem function and adaptation to climatic heterogeneity. Avoiding monoculture dominance, these agroecological management practices recognize polyculture’s potential contribution towards ecological diversity and ecological resilience renewal. (Yahya, M.S., et al., 2017)
Influence on Agrobiodiversity
Monoculture production systems have narrow genetic base, hence possesses the susceptibility to pests, diseases and abiotic conditions. Dependence on one monogenotypic crop leads to the loss of local crops species and gene pool. The classic record of Irish potato blight and Panama disease of banana plantations is exemplary of genetic homogeneity’s susceptibility to monoculture (Yahya et al., 2017). Monoculture production systems will, more and more, rely on intensive use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers as a substitute for the degradation of ecosystem services (EOS, 2025). Polyculture farming enhances species and genetic diversity by the growth of more crops, which act as a source of food for pollinators, invertebrates in soil and pest-suppressing insects. This enhances the tolerance of the system to climatic stress and biotic extremes. These are Nepal’s and India’s home garden and intercropping systems, in which multi-species mixtures assist in maintaining agrobiodiversity and ecosystem stability.
Impact on Ecosystem Services
Provisioning Services: Monocultures yield big short-term harvests but at the potential cost of reduced diet diversity and increased risk of loss of crops. Polycultures, albeit sometimes yielding slightly lower, offer diversified food production with insurance against nutritional security and market and climate shocks. (Martinez et al., 2024)
Regulating Services: Polycultures complement biological disease and pest control by promoting natural enemies and reducing outbreaks in pest populations through their ecological interactions. Polycultures promote pollination through the diversity of floral resources provided and increase soil fertility by promoting more than one nutrient cycling process. Notably, polycultures sequester more carbon and regulate local climate, but monocultures break these regulation services and are likely to break the soil and environment through intensive agrochemical use and tillage.
Supporting Services: Biodiversity is increased more in polyculture systems, e.g., conserving soil structure and microbiological function necessary to maintain nutrient cycling and agroecosystem health. Monocultures will erode these supporting ecosystem services with low plant diversity and soil life.
Cultural Services: The polyculture systems become inextricably intertwined with indigenous knowledge, food heritage, cultural identity and food heritage, conserving traditional forms of agriculture as well as social customs. Monocultures enjoy a partnership with industrial agriculture, which separates agriculture from natural and cultural affiliations (Hiemstra, J., 2025).
Environmental and Socio-economic Implications
Monoculture farming increases erosion and degradation of the land, uses large amounts of water, and produces fertiliser and pesticide pollution to the environment. Economically, the cultivators of monocultures experience unstable markets and high input costs, which threaten livelihoods. Polyculture farms achieve stability of income through diversification of production and inputs, increase farmers’ autonomy and capacity to withstand unpredictable climate and economic conditions. Climate resilience is far higher in polyculture systems, which soften extremes and even out yields over time compared to monocultures.
Case Studies
World dominant monocultures such as soybean, oil palm plantation and corn are monopolistic in world commodity markets but unsustainable. Indigenous polyculture system is “Three Sisters” system of North America where maize, beans and squash intercropped for mutual benefits (Martinez et al., 2024; Ghazali et al., 2016), and bari/gharbari mixed cropping system of Nepal for food security and biodiversity enhancement. Coffee-banana intercropping in Latin America is for shade coffee and biodiversity conservation.
Way Forward
To encourage sustainable agriculture, crop diversification and polyculture must be favored. Agroecology farming practices based on biodiversity, ecological services and low external input must be made mainstreamed. Support structures through policy must exist in support of farmers in terms of subsidies, research, extension services, and education to make diversified farming economically attractive. These all directly help to work towards UN Sustainable Development Goals such as Zero Hunger, Climate Action and Life on Land towards the goal of more resilient, equitable, and ecologically sustainable food systems. (Kaur, 2024; Martinez et al., 2024)
Conclusion
Lastly, monoculture and polyculture farming are two different approaches with contrasting impacts on agrobiodiversity and ecosystem services. Monoculture farming compromises resilience, biodiversity and ecosystem health but prioritizes short term yield and efficiency. In contrast, polyculture enhances genetic diversity, maintains essential ecosystem functions and preserves cultural knowledge, positioning itself as a sustainable path for resilient food systems and environmental sustainability. Thus, a global transition toward diversified, resilient farming systems grounded in polyculture principles is necessary to address current and future agricultural challenges.
References
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