What role does biodiversity play in food security and threats of biodiversity in agriculture and does increased biodiversity increase food production?
Changes in land use and water management, intensification of production systems, deforestation, overfishing, excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers, pollution and ecosystem degradation are some of the major direct threats to biodiversity for food and agriculture. It is a key resource in efforts to increase food production while limiting negative impacts on the environment. Biodiversity is important to agriculture because it provides the raw materials for food production. Biodiversity makes it possible for crop plants to resist pests and diseases. This is because different types of crops have different levels of resistance and susceptibility to pests and diseases.
Biodiversity, at genetic, species and ecosystem levels, is important for efforts to address the challenges posed by diverse and changing production systems, in promoting resilience, improving livelihoods and supporting food security and nutrition. 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. Besides, though agriculture is the main cause of deforestation, forest biodiversity is vital to food security as it provide diversified foods and supply the energy needed to cook food for a third of the world's population. Less biodiversity means less of the plants, animals and microorganisms that are critical to pollination, cleaning water and keeping soil fertile. That makes it harder for the agriculture industry to grow the crops that are needed to feed our ever-growing population.Maintaining diversity within agricultural systems is not a novel approach but one practiced by many smallholder farmers globally, in many different ways. The nutritional and livelihood benefits of diverse production systems are one way of achieving food security. Increased wastage of food can lead to increased numbers of one, which can then put the second in the chain out of balance. The systems in the chain are sensitive, and even the smallest changes can have a ripple effect on an ecosystem, reducing its biodiversity. Its maintenance is essential for the production of food and other agricultural goods and the benefits these provide to humanity, including food security, nutrition and livelihoods. 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.
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