Conservation agriculture in Argentina and Germany: a comparative review of adoption pathways and environmental outcomes

Context Conservation Agriculture (CA), defined by minimal mechanical soil disturbance, permanent soil organic cover, and species diversification, has been proposed as a systems-based pathway toward sustainable intensification. Argentina and Germany represent different agricultural, socio-economic, and institutional contexts across Latin America and Europe, offering an opportunity to analyze how CA principles are interpreted and implemented, across distinct developmental trajectories. Objective This review synthesizes evidence on CA adoption pathways and environmental outcomes in both countries, distinguishing between the adoption of individual CA principles and fully integrated CA systems, as well as between environmental effects associated with agricultural expansion and those related to management changes within already established cropping systems. Methods A systematic literature review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines to assess CA outcomes on soil health, carbon dynamics, water regulation, greenhouse gas emissions, pest and weed management, and biodiversity. Additional literature was analyzed to contextualize agricultural development trajectories and CA adoption dynamics. Results and conclusions The existing literature reveals both converging and diverging patterns in implementation of CA principles, strongly shaped by distinct agricultural development trajectories. In Argentina, no-tillage adoption emerged primarily as a response to soil degradation within a broader technological and economic expansion process. In Germany, CA practices are mainly implemented as management adjustments within long-established cropping systems, emphasizing reduced tillage, diversification, and environmental compliance. In both countries, simultaneous implementation of all three CA principles remains limited and environmental outcomes are strongly context-dependent. Significance By linking CA adoption pathways to historical development trajectories, this review provides a context-sensitive assessment of CA performance relevant for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers designing sustainable intensification strategies.