Beyond monoculture: Exploring the benefits, challenges, and potential of intercropping systems

Abstract Intercropping is an ancient agricultural practice in which two or more crops are grown in the same field in space and/or time. Evidence shows intercropping can increase whole‑system yields per unit land (often expressed as land‑equivalent ratio), improve resource capture (light, water, and nutrients), and enhance agroecosystem functions, but outcomes are strongly context‑dependent. In many smallholder, low‑input systems (which dominate the available literature, particularly across Asia and Africa), diverse canopies and rooting patterns buffer against climatic and market shocks. Furthermore, integrating legumes improves nitrogen use efficiency through biological nitrogen N fixation. However, intercropping does not guarantee higher yields for all crops. Certain combinations and environments may lead to lower yields, increased labor demands, greater management complexity, and in dense canopies potentially higher disease pressure. This review explores the benefits and trade‐offs of intercropping as a sustainable agricultural practice, contrasting it with traditional monoculture systems as a growing pathway to scaling diversification. The review concludes that intercropping is a viable tool for sustainable intensification. However, success depends on matching designs to local biophysical and socioeconomic conditions, alongside supporting mechanization, markets, extension, and enabling policy.