A sustainable integrated agroforestry system.

Introduction: Agricultural intensification has boosted global food supply but has also driven deforestation, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and greenhouse gas emissions, posing critical sustainability challenges. In response, alternative practices such as agroforestry have emerged, yet few long-term experimental systems exist that integrate high biodiversity with commercial perennial crops. Over 25 years, we have developed and refined a perennial, multi-species agroforestry system in northeastern Argentina, integrating Methods: The experimental design monitored crop yields, soil restoration metrics (including soil organic matter content), and population dynamics of the detrimental psyllid Results: This biodiverse, perennial system restores degraded soils through sustained increases in organic matter, stabilizes or enhances Discussion/Conclusion: These findings demonstrate the ecological and agronomic advantages of agroforestry as a scalable alternative to monoculture. By mimicking natural forests, our system shows how biodiversity-driven complexity enhances resilience, reduces dependence on external inputs, and provides climate adaptation and mitigation benefits. Integrated agroforestry offers a vital pathway to achieve the 2030 biodiversity targets of the CBD COP-15 and aligns agriculture with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.