Biodiversity underpins agriculture, sustaining productivity, resilience, and long-term viability. Representing the variety of life on Earth, biodiversity encompasses species of plants, animals, and microorganisms, along with their genetic differences and the ecosystems they form. It is not merely a component of agriculture but the very foundation, directly influencing the health and sustainability of cropping systems.

How does biodiversity support agriculture? First, the ability to develop new crop varieties that can withstand pests, diseases, and changing climate conditions hinges on genetic diversity and variability. This trait allows crops to adapt to environmental stresses. Second, biodiversity provides agriculture with critical ecosystem services. For example, biodiverse ecosystems provide pollination by insects, nutrient cycling by microorganisms, soil formation, and water regulation—processes that are fundamental to crop growth. Biodiverse agricultural systems are inherently more resilient to environmental shocks such as droughts, floods, and pest outbreaks. They recover more quickly from these stresses and can maintain productivity under conditions that would otherwise devastate monocultures.

Monocropping breaks the backbone of agriculture

Globally, monocropping is the most widely adopted arable farming system. As the name signifies, monocropping is based on monocultures, which rely heavily on steady fertilization, chemical pest, disease, and weed control. It enables high productivity through efficiency in mechanization and ease of management, but at the cost of natural resources. While monocropping results in high yield production in the short term, it is an extremely vulnerable system. It cannot survive without constant supply of external inputs.

Monocropping dramatically reduces biodiversity. Consider the large-scale corn farming in the Midwest of the United States or the soybean fields of Brazil's Cerrado region where vast expanses of land are dedicated to a single crop species. This practice replaces diverse native prairies or native savanna, which once supported hundreds of plant and animal species per hectare. With monocultures, the land now hosts only one crop. The reduction in species richness eliminates vital ecosystem services such as natural pest control, soil regeneration, and water purification. Without the natural support of diverse ecosystems, monocultures remain reliant on external inputs, leading to soil depletion, accelerated climate change, water pollution, and harm to surrounding ecosystems. 

Nature-inclusive agriculture through biodiversity

Contrary to monocropping, multispecies agricultural systems harness the benefits of biodiversity to create healthier, more resilient agricultural landscapes. However, for nature-inclusive agriculture to fully reach its potential, further research is needed. Developing knowledge about which crop combinations and rotations make optimal use of ecosystem services requires a systems approach that considers both above-ground and below-ground ecological processes. For example, understanding how the use of nutrients and the competition between plants influence crop resilience against pests and diseases is crucial. Addressing these ecological dynamics will help optimize nature-inclusive farming practices and improve their effectiveness in sustainable agriculture.

Simultaneously, it is vital to integrate social and economic considerations into ecological approaches. To ensure the widespread adoption of nature-inclusive agriculture, an understanding is needed of how new technologies, logistical innovations, and investments in sustainable practices can create viable revenue models and streams for farmers. Sustainable farming practices must be aligned with market incentives and economic benefits to make them attractive and viable.

In this context, developing national biodiversity plans that incorporate agriculture is essential. These plans should highlight the integration of agriculture with biodiversity conservation, creating synergies between productive farming systems and long-term environmental goals.

This article has been republished in Farming First