NEWS
Agriculture must be part of the
solution, not the problem
As we move into 2020, the super year for biodiversity, achieving our global goals will
hinge on making food production more sustainable while ensuring nutrition for all.
Reprinted From: http://bit.ly/3204wnR
Convention on Biological Diversity
A
griculture and biodiversity have
been inextricably linked for as long
as we humans have been produc-
ing our own food. As the source of all va-
riety in our crops and livestock, biodiver-
sity is the very foundation of agriculture.
It is also a powerful force in our continued
ability to produce enough food to feed a
growing population, supporting farming
through pollination, natural pest control,
and soil health. In turn, agriculture sup-
ports all of humanity, producing an aver-
age of 23.7 million tons of food per day
and providing livelihoods for 2.5 billion
people.
But right now, we have a problem: ag-
riculture poses an unprecedented threat
to biodiversity worldwide. Intensified
food production is damaging our envi-
ronment through conversion of natural
habitats to monocultures, soil degrada-
tion, unsustainable consumption of wa-
ter, and unsustainable use of pesticides
and fertilizers.
Although the value of agricultural crop
production has almost tripled since 1970,
indicators of nature’s regulating contri-
butions — such as loss of pollinator and
soil biodiversity — have declined. These
issues extend beyond agricultural ar-
eas, affecting forests, inland waters and
coastal ecosystems.
Fortunately, agriculture is not only one of
the problems we face — it can also be
part of the solution. Sustainable agricul-
ture can contribute to conservation of bi-
odiversity while reaping the benefits. As
we work to achieve our vision of living in
harmony with nature, we must improve
our agricultural systems to work with bio-
diversity, not against it. The good news is
that many groups are already working to
make this imperative a reality.
The Resilient Food Systems programme
is part of the critical push to make ag-
Grassroots
Vol 20
No 1
Figure 1: Although the value of agricultural crop production has almost tripled
since 1970, indicators of nature’s regulating contributions — such as loss of pol-
linator and soil biodiversity — have declined.
riculture more sustainable. A five-year
initiative in partnership with the UN En-
vironment Programme, the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations (FAO), and the United Nations
Development Programme (among oth-
ers), this program is enhancing long-
term sustainability and resilience for
food security in sub-Saharan Africa with
activities in 12 countries.
To tackle these issues, they are focused
on engaging and bringing together
stakeholders from both agricultural and
environmental sectors, promoting prov-
en actions, and tracking the results to in-
form decision making.
March 2020
Through an Engage, Act, and Track
framework, the program aims to increase
genetic diversity of crops, reduce land
degradation, recover natural vegetation,
and increase the capacity of soils to se-
quester carbon.
Another step in the sustainable agricul-
ture movement is the Global Symposium
on Soil Biodiversity, taking place next
year.
From bacteria to fungi to earthworms,
the life in our soils is crucial to plant
health (and therefore, to our health). The
FAO is hosting this major meeting from
10-12 March in Rome.
20