Transformation of agricultural landscapes in the Anthropocene: Nature's contributions to people, agriculture and food security

Abstract

Multiple anthropogenic challenges threaten nature's contributions to human well-being. Agricultural expansion and conventional intensification are degrading biodiversity and ecosystem functions, thereby undermining the natural foundations on which agriculture is itself built. Averting the worst effects of global environmental change and assuring ecosystem benefits, requires a transformation of agriculture. Alternative agricultural systems to conventional intensification exist, ranging from adjustments to efficiency (e.g., sustainable intensification) to a redesign (e.g., ecological intensification, climate smart agriculture) of the farm management system. These alternatives vary in their reliance on nature or technology, the level of systemic change required to operate, and impacts on biodiversity, landscapes and agricultural production. Different socioeconomic , ecological and political settings mean there is no universal solution, instead there are a suite of interoperable practices that can be adapted to different contexts to maximise efficiency, sustainability and resilience. Social, economic, technological and demographic issues will influence the form of sustainable agriculture and effects on landscapes and biodiversity. These include: 1) the sociotechnical-ecological architecture of agricultural and food systems and trends such as urbanisation in affecting the mode of production, diets, lifestyles and attitudes; 2) emerging technologies, such as gene editing, synthetic biology and 3D bio-printing of meat; and 3) the scale or state of the existing farm system, especially pertinent for smallholder agriculture. Agricultural transformation will require multifunctional landscape planning with cross-sectoral and participatory management to avoid unintended consequences and ultimately depends on people's capacity to accept new ways of operating in response to the current environmental crisis.

Ensuring a Post-COVID Economic Agenda Tackles Global Biodiversity Loss

“…23,24 Specific sustainable intensification practices, depending on context, can include precision agriculture, enhanced biocontrol/integrated pest management, ecological infrastructure (e.g., grass strips or permaculture), and diversified agro-forestry or agro-pastoral systems; these approaches have in common a focus on improving agro-ecological functions such as nutrient cycling, soil conservation, and biodiversity promotion (especially for pollinators and soil health). 25 Expand New Taxation Policies for Environmental Harms Environmental policy has a long history of using environmental taxes to reduce pollution and increase resource-use efficiency, such as gas taxes or plastic bag fees; however, very few direct consumption or other taxes have been designed specifically to preserve biodiversity. Many taxes on activities or products exerting negative (and often indirect) effects on ecosystems and biodiversity rely either on the polluter-pay principle or on the user-pay principle, which can serve to nudge people toward certain behaviors, but most existing taxes are too low to significantly reduce negative impacts.…”

Integrated-Smart Agriculture: Contexts and Assumptions for a Broader Concept

“…These solutions as CSA are not universal [146] and depend on the specificities of each context [147].…”

Integrating biodiversity conservation in wider landscape management: Necessity, implementation and evaluation

“…Biodiversity conservation currently operates largely in isolation from other processes and developments that shape the composition and land-use of landscapes. Ironically, many socio-economic activities that benefit significantly from biodiversity often cause a further decline of wild species of plants and animals (Vanbergen et al, 2020). For example, production of many crops is enhanced by insect pollination (Garibaldi et al, 2013), yet many practices to enhance agricultural production, such as removal of seminatural habitat or pesticide applications, result in loss of wild pollinators so that in many areas pollination is now the factor limiting growth in crop production (Deguines et al, 2014;Fijen et al, 2020).…”