MSU Researcher Honored for Study on Farm Diversification

By Andi Anderson

Michigan State University Assistant Professor Olivia Smith played a key role in a globally awarded study that found diversified farming systems benefit both the environment and communities.

Published in Science, the 2024 study titled “Joint environmental and social benefits from diversified agriculture” analyzed 24 studies from 2,655 farms across 11 countries and five continents.

The research team, made up of more than 55 scientists, was honored with one of three international champion awards and $1 million from the Frontiers Planet Prize to support ongoing research in sustainable agriculture.

Smith’s contribution focused on West Coast farms in the U.S., exploring the benefits of integrating livestock into crop production. Her findings, originally part of her Ph.D. research, showed that this integration enhances biodiversity and overall farm sustainability.

The broader study examined practices like crop and livestock diversification, soil and water conservation, and non-crop plantings such as hedgerows and flower strips.

The findings revealed that the more diversification strategies a farm employed, the more environmental and social benefits they experienced. These included better biodiversity, improved food access, and reduced hungry months, especially in smallholder farms.

Smith highlighted the importance of evaluating not just environmental, but also social outcomes, such as human wellbeing and food security, which have often been overlooked in past studies.

Now based in Michigan, Smith is working with 40 small-scale organic farms from Grand Rapids to Detroit to study how beneficial biodiversity can support farm production. Her ongoing research is supported by MSU AgBioResearch, Project GREEEN, and community partners like MIFFS and MOFFA.

This work aligns with Michigan’s strength in agricultural diversity and offers scalable solutions to improve farm sustainability, echoing the goals of the Frontiers Research Foundation to help humanity stay within the planet’s safe boundaries.

Photo Credit: michigan-state-university-msu