Jewel Quach

Does increased biodiversity increase food production?

Topic: Environmental sustainability: Primary production

Sub-topic: Biodiversity

Source 1: FAO. (2019) “Biodiversity for food and agriculture.” At: https://www.fao.org/state-of-
biodiversity-for-food-agriculture/en/#:~:text=Biodiversity%20is%20essential%20to%20food%20and
%20agriculture&text=Biodiversity%20makes%20production%20systems%20and,negative%20impacts
%20on%20the%20environment.

 Biodiversity is the variety of life at genetic, species and ecosystem levels. Biodiversity for
food and agriculture (BFA) is, in turn, the subset of biodiversity that contributes in one way
or another to agriculture and food production. It includes the domesticated plants and
animals that are part of crop, livestock, forest or aquaculture systems, harvested forest and
aquatic species, the wild relatives of domesticated species, and other wild species harvested
for food and other products. It also encompasses what is known as “associated biodiversity”,
the vast range of organisms that live in and around food and agricultural production
systems1, sustaining them and contributing to their output.
 Biodiversity is essential to food and agriculture. Biodiversity for food and agriculture is
indispensable to food security and sustainable development. It supplies many vital
ecosystem services, such as creating and maintaining healthy soils, pollinating plants,
controlling pests and providing habitat for wildlife, including for fish and other species that
are vital to food production and agricultural livelihoods.
 Biodiversity makes production systems and livelihoods more resilient to shocks and stresses,
including those caused by climate change. It is a key resource in efforts to increase food
production while limiting negative impacts on the environment. It makes a variety of
contributions to the livelihoods of many people, often reducing the need for food and
agricultural producers to rely on costly or environmentally harmful external inputs.
 Biodiversity at genetic, species and ecosystem levels helps address the challenges posed by
diverse and changing environmental conditions and socio-economic circumstances.
Diversifying production systems, for example by using multiple species, breeds or varieties,
integrating the use of crop, livestock, forest and aquatic biodiversity, or promoting habitat
diversity in the local landscape or seascape, helps to promote resilience, improve livelihoods
and support food security and nutrition.

Source 2: Cranny.K. (11 September 2020). “Balancing global food demands and biodiversity.” At:
https://blog.csiro.au/global-food-biodiversity-loss/

Dr Mario Herrero, a Chief Research Scientist in our Agriculture and Food division, explains that we
need to combine, as a planet, a number of actions to reverse biodiversity declines:

 Sustainably increase crop yields

 Increase trade of agricultural goods
 Reduce waste of agricultural goods from field to fork
 Shift our diets to include a lower share of animal calories
 Increase the extent and management of protected areas such as national parks
 Increase restoration of land and landscape-level conservation planning
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Source 3: GreenFacts. (25 April 2019). “The state in the world of the biodiversity for food and
agriculture”. At: https://www.greenfacts.org/en/biodiversity-agriculture/index.htm#1

Biodiversity is the variety of life at genetic, species and ecosystem levels; it is essential to the mutual

interactions between the species that underlie the biology of food production. In the context of food
and agriculture, the part of biodiversity that contributes in one way or another to agriculture and food
production is considered, including the species that are used directly in food production and the vast
range of associated organisms that live in and around food and agricultural production systems,
sustaining them and contributing to their output.
Supplying enough safe and nutritious food for a growing world population poses many challenges.
Among the most serious is the need to increase food production globally without undermining the
capacity of the world’s lands and seas to meet the food needs of future generations and to deliver
other essential ecosystem services.
In some key areas, efforts towards a conservation of biodiversity are vital also to meet the
17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations 20301 Agenda, including:
oPollination. An estimated 87 % of all flowering plant species are pollinated by animals;  
oProtection from predator species. Many different components of biodiversity found in and
around production systems help to control species that may attack crops, livestock, trees or
aquatic species, cause or spread diseases or otherwise disrupt human activities or the
supply of ecosystem services;  
oClimate. Forests, grasslands, and freshwater, marine and coastal ecosystems play key roles
in the Earth’s carbon cycle and hence in regulating greenhouse-gas concentrations in
the atmosphere. In all cases, the uptake and release of carbon depend on complex
processes involving an enormous range of interacting species; 
oWater. Many different organisms contribute to the process of filtering pollutants before they
can enter water bodies, transferring them out of the water (e.g. into bottom sediments or
the atmosphere) or degrading them into benign or less-harmful components; 
oCultural services. Biodiversity has a major influence on the aesthetic appearance of many
ecosystems, their capacity to inspire, their suitability for various recreational activities and
their educational significance. 
Many key components of biodiversity for food and agriculture (BFA)
at genetic, species and ecosystem levels are in decline. Evidence suggests that the proportion of
livestock breeds at risk of extinction is increasing, nearly a third of fish stocks are overfished and a
third of freshwater fish species assessed are considered threatened.

As a result of the destruction and degradation of habitats, overexploitation, pollution and other threats,

countries report that in key ecosystems that deliver numerous services essential to food and
agriculture, many species that contribute to vital ecosystem services, including pollinators, natural
enemies of pests, soil organisms and wild food species, are in decline.
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Source 4: LatrobeUniversity. (20 October 2020). “How does biodiversity benefit agriculture? At:
https://www.gbcma.vic.gov.au/downloads/Land%20Health%20Current%20Projects/GB
%20CMA_Radford_20102020%20(003).pdf

 Biodiversity – is the diversity of all forms of living organisms. It includes diversity within and among
species (including genetic diversity) and diversity within and among ecosystems.
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Source 5: FAO. (22 February 2019). “The biodiversity that is crucial for our food and agriculture is
disappearing by the day”. At:
https://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/1180463/icode/#:~:text=Biodiversity%20for%20food
%20and%20agriculture%20is%20all%20the%20plants%20and,%E2%80%93%20called
%20%E2%80%9Cassociated%20biodiversity%E2%80%9D.
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Biodiversity for food and agriculture is all the plants and animals - wild and domesticated - that provide
food, feed, fuel and fibre. It is also the myriad of organisms that support food production through
ecosystem services – called “associated biodiversity”. This includes all the plants, animals and micro-
organisms (such as insects, bats, birds, mangroves, corals, seagrasses, earthworms, soil-dwelling fungi
and bacteria) that keep soils fertile, pollinate plants, purify water and air, keep fish and trees healthy, and
fight crop and livestock pests and diseases.
The report, prepared by FAO under the guidance of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and
Agriculture looks at all these elements. It is based on information provided specifically for this report by
91 countries, and the analysis of the latest global data.
“Biodiversity is critical for safeguarding global food security, underpinning healthy and nutritious diets,
improving rural livelihoods, and enhancing the resilience of people and communities. We need to use
biodiversity in a sustainable way, so that we can better respond to rising climate change challenges and
produce food in a way that doesn’t harm our environment,” said FAO’s Director-General José Graziano da
Silva.
“Less biodiversity means that plants and animals are more vulnerable to pests and diseases.
Compounded by our reliance on fewer and fewer species to feed ourselves, the increasing loss of
biodiversity for food and agriculture puts food security and nutrition at risk,” added Graziano da Silva.
Of some 6,000 plant species cultivated for food, fewer than 200 contribute substantially to global food
output, and only nine account for 66 percent of total crop production.
The world’s livestock production is based on about 40 animal species, with only a handful providing the
vast majority of meat, milk and eggs. Of the 7,745 local (occurring in one country) breeds of livestock
reported globally, 26 percent are at risk of extinction.
Nearly a third of fish stocks are overfished, more than half have reached their sustainable limit.
Information from the 91 reporting countries reveals that wild food species and many species that
contribute to ecosystem services that are vital to food and agriculture, including pollinators, soil
organisms and natural enemies of pests, are rapidly disappearing.
For example, countries report that 24 percent of nearly 4,000 wild food species – mainly plants, fish and
mammals - are decreasing in abundance. But the proportion of wild foods in decline is likely to be even
greater as the state of more than half of the reported wild food species is unknown.
The largest number of wild food species in decline appear in countries in Latin America and the
Caribbean, followed by Asia-Pacific and Africa. This could be, however, a result of wild food species being
more studied and/or reported on in these countries than in others.
Many associated biodiversity species are also under severe threat. These include birds, bats and insects
that help control pests and diseases, soil biodiversity, and wild pollinators – such as bees, butterflies, bats
and birds.
Forests, rangelands, mangroves, seagrass meadows, coral reefs and wetlands in general – key ecosystems
that deliver numerous services essential to food and agriculture and are home to countless species – are
also rapidly declining.
Source 6: wheenbeefoundation. (April 03, 2023). “Bee Matter”. At:
https://www.wheenbeefoundation.org.au/about-bees-pollination/

 Bees are so important to our livelihood as they help to pollinate most of the crops we eat and
many that feed farm livestock. In fact, nearly two-thirds of Australia’s agricultural production
benefits from bee pollination.
 While beekeeping is a relatively small industry, it plays a significant role within the agricultural
sector. It is essential, not just for honey and other hive products such as bees wax, but more
importantly for the pollination services provided by bees.
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 Numerous studies show that the addition of bees at a time when plants are flowering
significantly increases both the yield and quality of crops.

 Honey and other hive products generate around $100 million per year in Australia. The
contribution of honey bees to agriculture through pollination services is estimated to be 140
times this figure and was valued at around $14.2 billion in Australia in 2017.
 Although Apis mellifera (honey bee) is an introduced species in Australia, the majority of crops
they pollinate have also been introduced and would struggle to be productive without honey bee
pollination.

Source 9: AustralianGovernmentDepartmentofAgriculture,FisheriesandForestry. (08 June 2022).

“Honey Bees” at: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/agriculture-land/farm-food-drought/hort-
policy/honeybees#pollination
Source 7: WileyOnlineLibrary. (16 April 2023). “Why losing Australia's biodiversity matters for human
health: insights from the latest State of the Environment assessment”. At:
https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.51904

balanced diet, and pollinating insects and animals are essential for a healthy food supply. Close to 75% of
the world's crops depend on pollinators.7 In turn, pollinators depend on healthy habitats including native
vegetation for their survival. Many organisms act as natural pest control agents, and genetic diversity
helps protect crops against changing weather and pest impacts.3
The SOE report notes that “quality, affordable food is one of the key material contributions of nature to
people”.2 However, urban sprawl and impacts of climate change are putting increasing pressure on food
provision and security. Our native vegetation and soils are in poor and deteriorating condition, and
drought, heatwaves, changing rainfall patterns, storms and cyclones are increasingly affecting crop
quality and quantity.2 This has real-world implications, with Australians increasingly affected by rising
food prices related to these issues.
Source8: Gurdev K. (19/10/2019). “The Importance of Biodiversity to Food and Agricultural Systems
across the Globe”. At:
https://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm/88533/18098/the_importance_of_biodiversity_to_food_and
_agricultural_systems_across_the_globe#:~:text=The%20food%20we%20humans%20eat,agriculture
%20about%2010%2C000%20years%20ago.
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The food we humans eat every day throughout our lives comes from agricultural biodiversity.
Biodiversity is the basis of agriculture and our food systems. It has enabled farming systems to evolve
since the origin of agriculture about 10,000 years ago. Our civilization evolved when human beings
started domesticating plants and animals

Agricultural biodiversity includes all components of biological diversity of relevance to food and
agriculture. It includes plants’ genetic resources: crops, wild plants harvested and managed for food,
trees on farms, pastures and rangeland species, medicinal plants and ornamental plants of aesthetic
value. Animal genetic resources include domesticated animals, wild animals hunted for food, wild and
farmed fish and other aquatic organisms, insect pollinators and microbial and fungal genetic resources.

Agricultural biodiversity provides humans with food, raw materials for goods such as: cotton and wool for
clothing; wood for shelter and fuel; plants and roots for medicines; and materials for biofuels.
Agricultural biodiversity also performs ecosystem services such as soil and water conservation,
maintenance of soil fertility, conservation of biota and pollination of plants, all of which are essential for
food production and for human survival. In addition, genetic diversity of agricultural biodiversity provides
species with the ability to adapt to changing environments and to evolve by increasing their adaptation to
frost, high temperature, drought and waterlogging as well as their resistances to diseases, insects and
parasites.

The importance of agricultural biodiversity encompasses socio-cultural, economic and environmental

elements. All domesticated crops and animals result from management of biodiversity, which is
constantly responding to new challenges to maintain and increase productivity under constantly varying
conditions and population pressures. Agricultural biodiversity is essential to satisfy basic human needs for
food and livelihood security.

Biodiversity, food and nutrition interact on a number of key issues. It contributes directly to food
security, nutrition and well-being by providing a variety of plant and animals from domesticated and wild
sources. Biodiversity can also serve as a safety-net to vulnerable households during times of crisis,
provide income opportunity to the rural poor and sustain productive agricultural ecosystems. Coping
mechanisms based on indigenous plants are particularly important for the most vulnerable people who
have little access to formal employment, land or market opportunities. Wild indigenous plants provide
alternate sources of food when harvests fail.
Finally, genetic diversity of plant’s genetic sources is the basis of crop improvement. Generations of
farmers and plant breeders have converted wild ancestors of our food plants into productive varieties,
which feed the world today. Whereas wild wheat and rice may produce a few hundred kilograms of grain
per hectare, modern green revolution varieties produce 6-8 tons.

Source 10: AustralianGovernmentDepartmentofAgriculture,FisheriesandForestry. (14 November 2021).

‘Invasive species’ at: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/abares/research-topics/invasive-species
Source 11: Murphy H. and Leeuwen S. (2021). ‘Australia State of the environment 2021’. At:
https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/biodiversity/pressures/invasive-species-problematic-native-species-and-
diseases
Source 12: Climiatecouncil. (16 Oct 2019). ‘What Is Climate Change and What Can We Do About It?’ at:
https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/what-is-climate-change-what-can-we-do/
Source 13: EmergencyAction. (26 Jan 2023). ‘The Impact of Climate Change on Food Security’. at:
https://emergencyaction.org.au/eaa-2021/posts/the-impact-of-climate-change-on-food-
security#:~:text=Food%20Security%20in%20Australia&text=In%20recent%20decades%2C%20Australia
%20has,average%20farm%20profits%20by%2023%25.
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Source 14: Tanya S. (March 2023). ‘Climate Change and Livestock Welfare’. At:
https://www.vfca.org.au/livestock
Source 15: Ridoutt B, Baird D, Navarro J, Hendrie G. (29 November 2021). ‘Pesticide Toxicity Footprints of
Australian Dietary Choices’. At: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8703275/
Source 16: Cresswell I., Janke T., Johnston E. (2021). ‘Australia State of the environment 2021’. At:
https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/overview/pressures/people#:~:text=The%20threats%20to%20biodiversity
%20in,heat%20events%20(ACF%202020).
Source 17: Sustainable farm. (2023). ‘Support Biodiversity’. At: https://www.sustainablefarms.org.au/on-
the-farm/biodiversity/
Source 18: Anne J., Geoff G. (15 April 2021). ‘Agroecology: Helping feed the world and protect
our planet’. at: https://insight.study.csu.edu.au/agroecology/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CA%20key
%20practice%20of%20agroecology,resilient%2C%20especially%20during%20adverse
%20events.
Source 19: CISRO. (9 June 2023). ‘Grazing systems in sustainable food futures.’ At:
https://www.csiro.au/en/work-with-us/industries/agriculture/sustainable-food-and-agriculture-
systems/understanding-and-navigating-global-change-in-our-food-systems/grazing-systems-in-
sustainable-food-futures