Offsets for compensating biodiversity loss are increasingly suggested as a system for allocating responsibilities onto those actors who contribute to the loss. As the mechanism is outlined as a new opportunity, the expectations need to be analyzed relative to the ensuing changes in rights and responsibilities over biodiversity degradation, conservation and restoration. In this paper we conduct an analysis of rights and responsibilities using literature and empirical material.

Boserup’s pioneering theory holds that rising population density can be accompanied by sustainable agricultural intensification. But can this positive relationship be sustained indefinitely, or are there conditions under which rising population density can lead to declining agricultural productivity? This study utilizes survey data on farm households in Kenya and soil samples on their main maize plots to assess whether Boserupian agricultural intensification is sustainable at high population densities.

As a response to the environmentally and socially destructive practices of post-war mechanization and intensification, the concept of sustainable agriculture has become prominent in research, policy, and practice. Sustainable agriculture aims to balance the economic, environmental, and social aspects of farming, creating a resilient farming system in the long-term. Over the last few decades, various concepts have been used in research and policy to encourage the adoption of sustainable practices.