Help farmers adopt agroecology to protect biodiversity and climate (commentary)

Agriculture and nature are closely intertwined, with millions of farmers around the world relying on nature-based activities as their source of livelihoods. Yet the adverse impacts of agriculture on the environment, climate, and biodiversity cannot be understated. From degraded soil and water resources to deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions, unsustainable agricultural practices place enormous burdens on the environment and biodiversity. Over the past 50 years, the conversion of natural ecosystems for crop production or pasture has been the major contributor to habitat loss, which has reduced biodiversity. At the same time, agriculture is responsible for a third of human-generated emissions. As the world’s population grows, pressure on agri-food systems to provide more food is skyrocketing. Meeting this demand through conventional agriculture with no consideration for sustainability means an intensified use of natural resources, which in turn continues to drive an increase in biodiversity loss and greenhouse gas emissions. Agroecology is a key climate solution according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Here, members of the agroecology association MASIPAG plant rice in the Philippines. Image via MASIPAG. Policies such as the EU’s deforestation free law aim to reduce these impacts by setting standards for imported commodities such as cocoa, coffee and palm oil. Under this legislation, commodities coming into the EU must come with verification that they have been produced without resorting to deforestation. However, this compliance-only approach misses the needs and challenges of the smallholder farmers producing these commodities. For example, difficulties in proving legal ownership of land…This article was originally published on Mongabay