What is the value of biological diversity in food and ecological security and does increased biodiversity increase food production?
Biodiversity increases the social, economic and environmental sustainability of food production systems in various ways. It provides many opportunities to improve livelihoods and generate income. Biodiversity is a key resource in efforts to increase food production while limiting negative impacts on the environment.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.
Biodiversity for food and agriculture is vital for food security. The erosion of biodiversity will undermine the capacity of agricultural systems to adapt to changing conditions and shocks, such as climate change, and outbreaks of pests and diseases that may jeopardise food security and livelihoods. Biodiversity plays a crucial role in human nutrition through its influence on world food production, as it ensures the sustainable productivity of soils and provides the genetic resources for all crops, livestock, and marine species harvested for food. Biodiversity is a key resource in efforts to increase food production while limiting negative impacts on the environment. Biodiversity in ecosystems, species, and individuals leads to greater stability. For example, species with high genetic diversity and many populations that are adapted to a wide variety of conditions are more likely to be able to weather disturbances, disease, and climate change. Biodiversity is also a component of natural capital, and it is vital to any farming system. Biodiversity refers to the variety and variability of life, at a range of levels including species and ecosystems. Without this variety, ecological systems such as water filtration and nutrient cycling could not function. Biodiversity increases productivity and biodiversity increases stability of ecosystems. Biodiversity is therefore strongly linked to the resilience of systems and is essential for food security. High biodiversity can maximize production levels, which are sustained through beneficial impact of ecosystem services for agricultural, modified and natural ecosystems. The biggest impact of biodiversity is on the environment. Healthy ecosystems help to maintain the Earth's natural processes. Soil turnover, water purification, pest control, and other processes wouldn't be possible without the species that support them. Biodiversity provides vital ecosystem functions such as soil fertilization, nutrient recycling, pest and disease regulation, and erosion control and crop and tree pollination. Biodiversity, including functions of ecosystems, offers a large variety of goods and services that support human life: provision of food; fuel and construction materials; purification of air and water; stabilization and moderation of global climate; moderation of floods, droughts, extreme temperatures
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