Nature-based solutions in agriculture: A review of the coconut (Cocos nucifera L.)-based farming systems in Kerala, “the Land of Coconut Trees”

Agricultural intensification in the past has led to many land-use-related issues around the world, and nature-based solutions (NbS) in farming seek to offset those negative consequences. NbS, in addition to promoting sustainable production of goods and resources and preserving ecosystem integrity, provides a range of ecosystem services. Mixed-species systems such as agroforestry, including the coconut-based farming systems (CBFS), are excellent examples of NbS. The CBFS, which involves many sciophytic agricultural crops, not only ensures economic benefits, but also improves crop productivity. They produce a variety of food items (fruits, nuts, tubers, and so on), earning the moniker ''coconut-based food forests,'' and have the potential to enrich agrobiodiversity. Biological carbon sequestration is another important attribute of CBFS. Crop combinations that include a variety of species, particularly tree crops, have the potential to increase carbon sequestration while also delivering diverse provisioning and cultural services. Kerala, the ''Land of Coconut Trees,'' witnessed a ''coconut boom'' from 1955 to 2000, although production and area have been fluctuating since then. The functional dynamics of CBFS and the natural resource challenges they address, as well as the ecosystem services CBFS provides and the biodiversity outcomes, are reviewed in this article, with a focus on Kerala.