Functionally rich crop rotations increase calorie and macronutrient outputs across Europe
Increased crop diversity in cereal-dominated rotations can enhance crop protection, nutrient use efficiency and climate change adaptation. Nevertheless, it is argued that replacing cereals in rotations diminishes food production, threatening food security. Here we compared outputs of calories and macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats) for human consumption from cereal monocultures, cereal-only rotations and rotations including two or three functionally distinct crop types (cereals plus root and oil crops, legumes or ley) in 16 long-term experiments across Europe. Rotations with three functional types produced more calories and macronutrients than cereal monocultures and cereal-only rotations with forage crops used to produce milk. Carbohydrate gains depended on growing conditions and crop choice. Advantages increased over time but were lost with forage crops used for beef or biofuel. Functionally rich rotations provided macronutrient proportions closer to recommended human diets. Our analysis shows no trade-off between functionally rich rotations and food production or agricultural land expansion.
Authors
- Lorenzo Negri (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8729-2442)
- Riccardo Bommarco (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8888-0476)
- Christine Watson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3758-9483)
- Timothy M. Bowles (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4840-3787)
- K. Jończyk (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5262-8858)
- Andrea Onofri
- Martina Mazzon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5136-0135)
- K. Topp (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7064-638X)
- Z. Sawińska (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7030-3221)
- Francesco Tei (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0857-9662)
- Boël Sandström
- José Luis Tenorio Pasamón
- Alessio Costa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8647-4738)
- Robin L. Walker (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8008-4413)
- Claudio Marzadori (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7042-320X)
- Monique E. Smith (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5913-3770)
- Jarosław Stalenga
- Giulia Vico
- Amélie C. M. Gaudin
- Andrzej Blecharczyk
- Inés Santín-Montanyá
- Guido Baldoni
- Antonio Berti
Institutions
- University of Padua (IT)
- Scotland's Rural College (GB)
- University of Perugia (IT)
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SE)
- Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation (PL)
- Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (ES)
- University of Life Sciences in Poznań (PL)
- University of California, Davis (US)
- University of Bologna (IT)
- University of California, Berkeley (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Food
- Published
- 2026-02-25
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-026-01293-5
- Primary Topic
- Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services Division
- Svenska Forskningsrådet Formas
- Vetenskapsrådet
- Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet
- Uniwersytet Przyrodniczy w Poznaniu
- Università di Bologna
- Directorate for Biological Sciences