This systematic review examines the methodology of trade-off analysis (TOA) in agriculture, a critical tool for promoting sustainable agricultural landscapes. The study reviews 119 studies that have implemented TOAs in agricultural systems globally, highlighting several limitations and gaps in the current approach. Key findings include: 1. **Unbalanced Emphasis**: TOAs often focus heavily on productivity rather than environmental and socio-cultural services. 2. **Scale Issues**: Most TOAs are conducted at farm or regional scales, rarely considering multiple spatial scales simultaneously. 3. **Stakeholder Involvement**: Stakeholders are often excluded from the study development stage, and uncertainty and risk analysis are underrepresented. 4. **Methodological Limitations**: The review identifies methodological gaps, such as the lack of spatially explicit methods for social indicators and the limited representation of uncertainty and risk. The study also discusses the importance of multi-scale and cross-scale analyses, the need for stakeholder engagement, and the integration of risk analysis to enhance the robustness of TOA results. It concludes with recommendations for improving the relevance and applicability of TOAs in agricultural policy and decision-making, emphasizing the need for a more comprehensive and context-specific approach that considers social, cultural, environmental, and economic dimensions.This systematic review examines the methodology of trade-off analysis (TOA) in agriculture, a critical tool for promoting sustainable agricultural landscapes. The study reviews 119 studies that have implemented TOAs in agricultural systems globally, highlighting several limitations and gaps in the current approach. Key findings include: 1. **Unbalanced Emphasis**: TOAs often focus heavily on productivity rather than environmental and socio-cultural services. 2. **Scale Issues**: Most TOAs are conducted at farm or regional scales, rarely considering multiple spatial scales simultaneously. 3. **Stakeholder Involvement**: Stakeholders are often excluded from the study development stage, and uncertainty and risk analysis are underrepresented. 4. **Methodological Limitations**: The review identifies methodological gaps, such as the lack of spatially explicit methods for social indicators and the limited representation of uncertainty and risk. The study also discusses the importance of multi-scale and cross-scale analyses, the need for stakeholder engagement, and the integration of risk analysis to enhance the robustness of TOA results. It concludes with recommendations for improving the relevance and applicability of TOAs in agricultural policy and decision-making, emphasizing the need for a more comprehensive and context-specific approach that considers social, cultural, environmental, and economic dimensions.