The Contribution Of Biodiversity For Food And Agriculture To The Resilience Of Production Systems

This study reviews the available information on the contribution of biodiversity for food and agriculture to the resilience of crop, livestock, forest, fishery and aquaculture production systems to environmental change and uncertainty.

The State of the World's Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture presents the first global assessment of biodiversity for food and agriculture worldwide. Biodiversity for food and agriculture is the diversity of plants, animals and micro-organisms at genetic, species and ecosystem levels, present in and around crop, livestock, forest and aquatic production systems. It is essential to the structure, functions and processes of these systems, to livelihoods and food security, and to the supply of a wide range of ecosystem services. It has been managed or influenced by farmers, livestock keepers, forest dwellers, fish farmers and fisherfolk for hundreds of generations. Prepared through a participatory, country-driven process, the report draws on information from 91 country reports to provide a description of the roles and importance of biodiversity for food and agriculture, the drivers of change affecting it and its current status and trends. It describes the state of efforts to promote the sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity for food and agriculture, including through the development of supporting policies, legal frameworks, institutions and capacities. It concludes with a discussion of needs and challenges in the future management of biodiversity for food and agriculture. The report complements other global assessments prepared under the auspices of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, which have focused on the state of genetic resources within particular sectors of food and agriculture.

This publication considers what is involved in ensuring that biodiversity contributes to improved food security. It summarizes the major challenges expected over the next 40 years and offers a perspective on the fundamental changes needed to ensure that biodiversity contributes to sustainable and productive systems.

This note summarizes the results of interviews with 17 farmers in France to identify the motivations and challenges that impact farmers’ adoption of practices that improve biodiversity. Respondents were identified through the Chamber of Agriculture Nord Pas de Calais and through the farmer network of the team leader with a further snowballing approach to find additional potential participants, and thus were not representative. All interviews were conducted either in-person or on Zoom. This work was part of the Enhancing Biodiversity and Resilience in Crop Production project, which was commissioned by Bayer and implemented in collaboration with ETH Zurich and IFPRI. The project analyzed information that can contribute to guidance on using agricultural practices to improve biodiversity and resilience of farming systems. It focused on intensive maize, wheat, and soy production systems in France, Germany, Brazil, and the United States.

This note summarizes the results of interviews with 16 farmers in Brazil to identify the motivations and challenges that impact farmers’ adoption of practices that improve biodiversity. Respondents were identified by reaching out to companies, traders, and active NGOs who provided information on interest groups and producers, and thus were not representative. All interviews were conducted through either Google Meet or WhatsApp phone call. The interviews were part of the Enhancing Biodiversity and Resil-ience in Crop Production project, which was commissioned by Bayer and implemented in collaboration with ETH Zurich and IFPRI. The project analyzed information that can contribute to guidance on using agricultural practices to improve biodiversity and resilience of farming systems. It focused on intensive maize, wheat, and soy production systems in France, Germany, Brazil, and the United States.

This study provides an overview of the roles that the biodiversity found in and around food and agricultural production systems play in the supply of ecosystem services ranging from provisioning services, such as the supply of food, fuel and fibre, to cultural services, such as recreation and aesthetic enjoyment, and regulating services, such as pollination, carbon sequestration, pest control and nutrient cycling.

This book examines the challenges and impacts of poor diets and nutrition from current food systems and the potential contribution of biodiversity and ecosystem services in addressing these problems. There is a strong need for a multi-level, cross-sectoral approach that connects food biodiversity conservation and sustainable use to address critical problems in our current food systems, including malnutrition. Building on research from the Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition Project (BFN), which aims to better link biodiversity, diets and nutrition, the book presents a multi-country, cross-sectoral analysis of initiatives that have promoted local food biodiversity in four countries: Brazil, Kenya, Turkey and Sri Lanka. This book offers a comprehensive summary of the BFN Project results in each of the four countries along with lessons learned and how this work could be upscaled or applied in other regions. It argues that the strategic promotion and use of food biodiversity is critical in uniting attempts to address conservation, nutrition and livelihood concerns. The book is structured around chapters and case studies encompassing the BFN Project with specific experiences related by partners who played key roles in the work being done in each country. By offering a comparative view capable of furthering dialogue between the respective countries, it is also meant to connect the individual cases for a “greater than the sum of its parts” effect. This means consideration of how localized activities can be adapted to more countries and regions. Therefore, the book addresses global issues with a foot planted firmly in the grounded case study locations. This book will be of great interest to policymakers, practitioners and NGOs working on food and nutrition, as well as students and scholars of agriculture, food systems and sustainable development.