Making conventional farming more biodiversity friendly

Abstract

We contend that it is conventional farming, not the conservation policies of the European Union, that is driving most of the biodiversity loss both inside the EU and outside it (see I. Bateman and A. Balmford Nature 618, 671–674; 2023). In our view, the authors’ proposal to use land sparing to mitigate trade-offs between agriculture and biodiversity is overly simplistic. Yield differences between conventional and biodiversity-friendly farming are variable and can be small (T. Tscharntke et al. Trends Ecol. Evol. 36, 919–930; 2021). Moreover, a focus on yields overlooks important socio-ecological impacts and the existence of better strategies for most landscapes than pure sparing or sharing (see, for example, C. Kremen Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 1355, 52–76; 2015).Sustainable land use is a complex issue (P. Meyfroidt et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 119, e2109217118; 2022). A context-specific approach is needed to foster landscapes that align food-production and biodiversity requirements. Tackling the root causes of biodiversity loss, protecting any remaining habitat, making conventional farming more biodiversity-friendly, and restoring degraded ecosystems all need to happen in parallel.