Sustainable Intensification (SI) is a term that has been advanced to capture a concept that some consider as the 'third paradigm' for global agricultural development. However, the term has become subject to intense debates as well as scepticism and confusion regarding its meaning and the characteristics of production systems that could indicate SI (defined as "indicators"). This has resulted in a proliferation of literature. We have conducted a systematic review of a sample of this literature analysing the most commonly suggested indicators of SI in order to investigate the extent to which the critiques of SI are valid in their viewpoints that SI is an oxymoron, underpinned by a productivist agenda, and to identify the critical issues in the development of a comprehensive and unambiguous set of SI indicators. From 633 articles identified by a search of relevant databases, a sample of 75 articles were selected and analysed using the NVIVO™ software. The results were organised according to a Socio-Ecological Systems (SES) framework comprising seven sub-systems or components − resource system, resource units, governance system, resource users, interactions, outcomes, and environment. A total of 218 indicators (both positive and negative) were identified. Most of these indicators focused on the 'outcomes' of agricultural systems with the majority being related to agricultural production. Few indicators were identified as relating to the economic and societal dimensions of food systems. Whilst this potentially suggested a productivist bias in the current interpretation of SI it was difficult to draw a black and white conclusion, since for the other system components, the majority of the indicators suggested appeared to take a more holistic point-of-view and emphasised both productivity and sustainability of agricultural systems. Our analysis suggests that a key reason why SI may be viewed with scepticism is a lack of specificity and elucidation of the rationale, scale, and farm type for which SI is proposed. Moreover, a number of the indicators were so loosely defined that the interventions they imply could be enacted without due consideration of the social impacts of their adoption. We conclude that there is need to develop SI indicators according to specific farming types and scales and also with more consideration of the social and political dimensions of food systems in order to promote a constructive dialogue around the concept of SI to take place. Unless the concept of SI is described and measured in such a holistic and inclusive manner, it is unlikely to be accepted as a valid descriptor of sought-after agricultural practices by players in the Third Sector.

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Natural flood management (NFM) is increasingly promoted as a sustainable flood risk management (FRM) option, but significant barriers remain to its implementation. We assess the barriers to uptake and implementation of NFM using an approach in which we conceptualise a catchment as a social-ecological system. We investigate the barriers relating to multiple stakeholders, biophysical, and social components and the interactions between these different system elements. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with land managers and practitioners of FRM in the United Kingdom. Data were analysed using qualitative methods, including thematic coding and categorisation. Key barriers of 25 identified were: economic constraints for land managers, the current lack of scientific evidence to support NFM and current lack of governance over long-term responsibility for NFM, which hinders future monitoring and maintenance. Practitioners within some sectors were less likely to recognise barriers noted by land managers, including cultural challenges, catchment planning concerns, and lack of perceived control. For successful wider implementation of NFM, it is crucial that practitioners recognise the barriers that land managers experience, and that projects should build monitoring programmes into their funding bids, to assess impacts on flood risk and maintenance needs and to build the evidence base to guide future NFM implementation. K E Y W O R D Sbarriers, flood risk management, governance, natural flood management, social-ecological system