Farming Systems, Climate & Environment

Whole-farm systems, sustainability, climate impacts and environmental effects.

This field looks at agriculture as a whole system rather than one crop or animal at a time: how farming systems are designed and how they perform economically, socially and environmentally. It compares conventional, integrated, organic and agroecological approaches, as well as agroforestry and mixed crop-livestock systems.

It also covers the relationship between agriculture and the environment in both directions - how climate change affects agricultural production, and how agriculture affects greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity and water and soil quality, including environmental effects of pesticides.

Studying farming systems, climate & environment

Degree programs in this subject often run under these names:

What you typically learn

  • Whole-farm and cropping system design
  • Conventional, integrated, organic and agroecological approaches side by side
  • Climate impacts and adaptation in agriculture
  • Agriculture and biodiversity, water and emissions
  • Sustainability assessment
  • Farm business and policy context

Where graduates typically work

  • Sustainability and certification bodies
  • Farm advisory and extension
  • Environmental and climate programs in agriculture
  • NGOs and development organizations
  • Farm management
  • Research on farming systems

Curricula differ by country and institution - the program pages linked below have the details.

Where to study farming systems, climate & environment

52 programs in 21 countries. See all 52 programs

Where research is heading

Typical research questions

  • How will climate change affect yields in different regions, and how can farming adapt?
  • How do different farming systems compare on yield, income and environmental impact?
  • How can greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture be measured and reduced?
  • What are the environmental effects of pesticides beyond the target organism?

Publications per year

Papers whose main topic belongs to this field, 2010–2025.

0 20k 40k2010: 22,61120102011: 23,3812012: 24,9672013: 26,0162014: 27,9502015: 29,01220152016: 30,1122017: 30,2412018: 31,0502019: 31,5982020: 30,85220202021: 27,9442022: 25,1232023: 26,2602024: 27,9732025: 34,3972025

Research fronts: fastest-growing topics

Papers 2024–2025 compared with 2021–2022, topics with at least 500 recent papers.

Topic2021–20222024–2025Change
Indigenous Knowledge Systems and AgricultureIndigenous Knowledge · Soil Fertility · Local Soil Classification · Sustainable Development5071,548+205%
Agroforestry and silvopastoral systemsAgroforestry · Biodiversity · Ecosystem Services · Temperate Region1,7703,544+100%
Sustainable Agricultural Systems AnalysisAgricultural Sustainability · Environmental Impact · Farm Level Assessment · Sustainability Indicators1,4172,662+88%
Agricultural Systems and PracticesRice-Fish Farming · Integrated Farming Systems · Sustainability · Ecosystem Services1,5802,815+78%
Climate change impacts on agricultureClimate Change · Agriculture · Adaptation · Food Security4,5486,445+42%
Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental ImpactSustainable Diets · Environmental Impact · Food Systems · Climate Change7,0849,807+38%

Largest topics

By number of papers 2024–2025.

  1. Agriculture and Rural Development ResearchLivestock Farming · Sustainability · Adaptation · Agricultural Development 11,987
  2. Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental ImpactSustainable Diets · Environmental Impact · Food Systems · Climate Change 9,807
  3. Climate change impacts on agricultureClimate Change · Agriculture · Adaptation · Food Security 6,445
  4. Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas ProductionAnaerobic Digestion · Biogas Production · Methanogenic Archaea · Hydrogen Production 5,676
  5. Organic Food and AgricultureOrganic Agriculture · Food Quality · Consumer Perception · Sustainability Labels 4,948
  6. Plant and soil sciencesAgroecology · Sustainable Agriculture · Organic Farming · Soil Management 4,408

Highly cited recent papers

Most-cited articles and reviews published 2024–2025. Citation counts favor reviews and papers published early in the window.

  1. RETRACTED: Pesticides impacts on human health and the environment with their mechanisms of action and possible countermeasures Md Faruque Ahmad, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad et al. · Heliyon · 2024 · 620 citations · Open access
  2. A comprehensive review on environmental and human health impacts of chemical pesticide usage Wei Zhou, Mengmeng Li, Varenyam Achal · Emerging contaminants · 2024 · 612 citations · Open access
  3. Climate change exacerbates the environmental impacts of agriculture Yi Yang, David Tilman, Zhenong Jin et al. · Science · 2024 · 537 citations · Open access
  4. Diversifying crop rotation increases food production, reduces net greenhouse gas emissions and improves soil health Xiaolin Yang, Jinran Xiong, Taisheng Du et al. · Nature Communications · 2024 · 477 citations · Open access
  5. The EAT–Lancet Commission on healthy, sustainable, and just food systems Johan Rockström, Shakuntala H. Thilsted, Walter Churchill Willett et al. · The Lancet · 2025 · 457 citations · Open access
  6. Pesticides: An alarming detrimental to health and environment Rajwinder Kaur, Diksha Choudhary, S. V. Bali et al. · The Science of The Total Environment · 2024 · 394 citations

All study programs in farming systems, climate & environment

All study programs