Restoring Nature at Lower Food Production Costs

Growing competition for land, water and energy call global strategies ensuring affordable food production at minimum environmental impacts. Economic modelling studies suggest trade-off relationships between sustainability prices. However, evidence based on empirical cost-functions supporting such trade-offs remains scarce the level. Here, cost engineering modelling, we show that optimised spatial allocation of 10 major crops, would reduce current costs agricultural by approximately 40% while improving performance. Although inputs per unit output increase local scales, a reduction cultivated land 50% overcompensates slightly higher field-scale enabling improved overall cost-effectiveness. Our results long-run prices are bound to continue decrease under strong policies. Policies transitions in sector should focus managing barriers implementation high-yield regenerative practices delivering multiple regional public goods.