Cultivated Land Multifunctionality: Evaluation, Spatial Dynamics, and Pathways for Sustainable Realization

This Research Topic welcomes contributions examining cultivated land multifunctionality as a pathway to resilient food systems, food security, and sustainable rural livelihoods across diverse global contexts — from smallholder and agroecological landscapes to high-density urban and peri-urban transition zones. Both empirical and methodological/theoretical contributions are welcome, spanning household- and plot-scale studies to regional and cross-national comparative analyses.Cultivated land is a foundational natural resource indispensable to global food security, sustainable rural livelihoods, and the long-term resilience of human societies. Its sustainable management is a critical enabler of multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Zero Hunger, No Poverty, Decent Work and Economic Growth, and Life on Land. Beyond its role in agricultural productivity, cultivated land multifunctionality directly shapes household food security, nutrition, income generation, employment, climate resilience, ecosystem services, and the overall well-being of farming communities. As urbanization accelerates and international commitments to sustainability strengthen, understanding and harnessing this multifunctionality is increasingly urgent for advancing inclusive and resilient food systems.Realizing cultivated land’s full potential requires a holistic framework that balances three interdependent functions: resilient food production, regenerative ecosystem maintenance, and socially inclusive cultural and livelihood services. While research on cultivated land quality and multifunctional use is growing, important gaps remain in connecting this work to the lived realities of farming households and rural communities.First, the links between cultivated land multifunctionality and household food security, livelihood resilience, and sustainable intensification remain underexplored, particularly regarding how multifunctional land use translates into tangible welfare outcomes for farmers. Second, questions of land governance and tenure — including how secure and equitable access to land shapes multifunctional outcomes — require further attention, alongside the inclusion of gender and youth perspectives in land-use decision-making and benefit-sharing. Third, the potential of climate-smart and regenerative agricultural practices to enhance multifunctionality, while building climate resilience and safeguarding ecosystem services, remains insufficiently understood. Fourth, policy and institutional innovations that support multi-objective synergy — balancing productivity, sustainability, and equity — are still underdeveloped, as are evaluation methods and spatial analyses capable of capturing these dynamics across diverse agroecological landscapes, from smallholder systems to urban-rural transition zones.To advance this agenda, we welcome high-quality research addressing cultivated land multifunctionality in relation to food systems and rural livelihoods, including but not limited to:- Cultivated land multifunctionality and household food security, nutrition, and income generation- Livelihood resilience and sustainable intensification through multifunctional land use- Land governance, tenure security, and their influence on multifunctional outcomes- Gender and youth inclusion in cultivated land use, decision-making, and benefit-sharing- Climate-smart and regenerative agricultural practices for enhancing multifunctionality and climate resilience- Ecosystem services generated through multifunctional cultivated land management- Policy and institutional innovations supporting multi-objective synergy in land use- Evaluation systems and dynamic assessment methods for cultivated land multifunctionality- Spatial heterogeneity and driving mechanisms of multifunctionality across smallholder, agroecological, and urban-rural landscapes- Comparative and cross-regional case studies linking multifunctionality to sustainable rural development- Technological and data-driven innovations (remote sensing, big data, AI) for multifunctionality assessment- Linkages between cultivated land multifunctionality and broader SDG achievement Topic editors: Tao Lin, Xuewei Zhang, Jin Zuo, Bing Gao Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82311/cultivated-land-multifunctionality-evaluation-spatial-dynamics-and-pathways-for-sustainable-realization