Improving yields in organic cropping systems

Total Factor Productivity (TFP) serves as a comprehensive metric to evaluate the performance of production systems, offering a unified framework for debates on sustainable agriculture. TFP integrates traditional yield-focused assessments with considerations of positive co-benefits, such as enhanced soil fertility and biodiversity, as well as negative impacts like emissions, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss. This approach aligns with sustainable agricultural systems, including agroecology, regenerative agriculture, and organic farming, which emphasize balanced outputs. These systems aim to achieve reasonable yields while minimizing negative effects and maximizing overall benefits. TFP provides an effective tool for assessing performance within this multidimensional context.