Climate change and food security are two of the world's biggest challenges, with two billion people lacking reliable access to food. Some farming practices might help solve both problems by taking carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in soil while producing more food.

We analyzed data from over 400 farm studies worldwide to understand how three farming methods affect soil health and crop production. These methods include leaving crop waste (like straw) on fields instead of removing it, planting additional 'cover' crops between main growing seasons, and reducing how much farmers disturb soil during planting.

Different practices work better in different regions. Leaving crop waste on fields was most successful, helping store more carbon and produce more food in 90% of areas studied. Planting cover crops worked well in half of areas, particularly benefiting less developed farming regions in Africa and Asia. Reducing soil disturbance was least effective, providing benefits for both climate change and food security in only 8% of areas.

This research shows that while these sustainable farming methods rarely harm soil or crop production, farmers and governments must choose practices suited to their regional conditions to maximize benefits.