The Effect of Biodiversity on Agriculture

Have you ever wondered about how the organisms in our environment keep balance? This mainly relies on biodiversity. Biodiversity, as defined by Britannica, is the variety of life found in a place on Earth or, often, the total variety of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a very important factor in the world because it can greatly affect the world. For example, it can affect areas such as the GDP, as over half of the global GDP is dependent on nature. In addition, more than one billion people are reliant on forests for their livelihood, and it keeps the global ecosystem in balance.

A thriving, biodiverse environment is necessary for the development of healthy ecosystems and could shape agriculture.

Agriculture is essential to humans. Around one-quarter of humans work in agriculture, which means a whopping 2.5 billion people. It is one of the largest sources of income and jobs for poor, rural households. Without it, it would cause a ripple effect across the nation and could result in the fall of economies, and nations, and the fall of many supply chains. However, just like anything in nature, agriculture also depends on many factors, namely biodiversity.

What may the loss of biodiversity result in?

The loss of biodiversity can result in many negative repercussions for humans, including the reduction of stability in ecosystems, the productivity of ecosystems, and the resilience of ecosystems to environmental change (Adams, 2023). Some examples may include reducing the number of species available to provide pollination services, reducing crop yields and increasing costs for farmers that have to find other ways to pesticide their crops, and the loss of key ecosystem services that are needed for agriculture, such as soil formation and nutrient cycling. What can come out of this is agricultural land that is downgraded and decreased crop productivity as well. In addition, it can also create the perfect breeding ground for agricultural pests and diseases, such as weeds and invading/dangerous crops (Adams, 2023).

The UN has proposed new solutions to our loss of biodiversity--but it may not be what anyone suggests. A headline of an article reports, “Our global food system is the primary driver of biodiversity loss.” It supports its idea with the idea that biodiversity will continue to deteriorate unless we change the way that we produce food. The three steps that they provide include:

1. global dietary patterns need to move towards more plant-heavy diets

2. more land needs to be protected and set aside for nature

3. farming in a more nature-friendly, biodiversity-supporting way, limiting the use of inputs

By doing so, it is possible to save our biodiverse environment. The UN has also included this in SDG 2, Zero Hunger, where the goal is to produce food in a way that allows everyone to eat in a way that is climate-friendly.

Some may even argue that the relationship between biodiversity and agriculture is cycle-like. A report that was published in the National Academic Press has found the relationship between factors such as greenhouse gases and pollinators. The greenhouse gases that are released from agriculture have contributed to rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns, and it has put a lot of stress on some plant and animal species. In my opinion, we need the biodiversity that is currently present to stay with us, so we should make every effort to maintain the environment and make sure that we give it what it gives us. Therefore, maintaining the relationship between thriving agriculture and biodiversity is of the essence to our environment and well-being.

References:

American Museum of Natural History. “What Is Biodiversity? Why Is It Important?” American Museum of Natural History, 2019, www.amnh.org/research/center-for-biodiversity-conservation/what-is-biodiversity. Accessed 14 June 2024.

Climate Change, UN. “Why Biodiversity Matters | UNFCCC.” Unfccc.int, 10 Sept. 2020,unfccc.int/news/why-biodiversity-matters#:~:text=It%20plays%20a%20huge%20role%20in%20the%20integrity. Accessed 14 June 2024.

Pimm, Stuart L. “Biodiversity.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 4 Jan. 2019,www.britannica.com/science/biodiversity.  Accessed 14 June 2024.

Rafferty, John P. “Biodiversity Loss | Causes, Effects, & Facts.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 16 Apr. 2019, www.britannica.com/science/biodiversity-loss. Accessed 14 June 2024.