Background

Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals will require negotiating possible trade-offs between objectives. Achieving food security (SDG2) could come at the expense of biodiversity and ecosystem health (SDG15) if it is accomplished through agricultural extensification and increased use of industrial farming methods. Increasing clean energy access (SDG7) could trade off with other land uses including agriculture or conservation if large areas of land are needed for solar, wind, hydroelectric, or geothermal energy generation.

Integrated solutions that avoid trade-offs and can deliver on multiple sustainable development objectives are increasingly needed. One such emerging system is ‘agrivoltaics’ (AV), or the integration of crop and livestock production with photovoltaic solar panels, much in the same way as agroforestry combines agriculture with trees. AV systems have the potential to buffer crop production from heat and water stress by growing crops in partial shade, while at the same time producing clean energy to power agribusinesses or communities.