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© 2001 International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

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Common Ground, Common Future

How Ecoagriculture Can Help Feed the World and Save Wild Biodiversity

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Date

November 8, 2001

Short Summary

Agriculture v. Conservation? Much of Earth’s biodiversity is at risk. The areas that are home to the greatest numbers of at-risk species are also home to large numbers of rural people, many of them desperately poor. Local agriculture, as the chief provider of food and livelihoods to these people, must expand to meet rapidly growing […]

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Summary

Agriculture v. Conservation?

Much of Earth’s biodiversity is at risk. The areas that are home to the greatest numbers of at-risk species are also home to large numbers of rural people, many of them desperately poor.

Local agriculture, as the chief provider of food and livelihoods to these people, must expand to meet rapidly growing world demand, keep up with burgeoning populations, and prevent hunger. Yet agriculture, as currently practiced, is a chief cause of the destruction of valuable habitats, pushing species towards extinction. Agriculture cannot be curtailed, but if policies are not changed, large numbers of endangered species of all types will be lost in the next fifty years.

Solutions for Productive Farming and Effective Conservation

Around the world, farmers, scientists, and environmentalists are finding methods to conserve habitats and preserve species while boosting food production and improving the incomes of the poor.

“Ecoagriculture” Can Help Produce More Food and Protect Wild Biodiversity

This report analyses the links between agriculture and biodiversity. It highlights the findings of a major new study that—for the first time—brings together successful methods from around the world that are being used to increase food production and save wild species. These innovative farming and land management techniques are elements of what the authors see as a new type of agriculture: “ecoagriculture.”

Six Key Ecoagriculture Strategies

This report identifies six key ecoagriculture strategies that can help farmers grow the food they need—without destroying the habitats of the wild species that live on or near their land.

  • Strategy 1: Reduce habitat destruction by increasing agricultural productivity and sustainability on lands already being farmed
  • Strategy 2: Enhance wildlife habitat on farms and establish farmland corridors that link uncultivated spaces
  • Strategy 3: Establish protected areas near farming areas, ranch lands, and fisheries
  • Strategy 4: Mimic natural habitats by integrating productive perennial plants
  • Strategy 5: Use farming methods that reduce pollution
  • Strategy 6: Modify resource management practices to enhance habitat quality in and around farmlands
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