Agriculture and conservation

Table of Contents

• Overview of the contents 6
• Foreword by IUCN Director General 11
• Foreword by Agence Française de Développement 12
• Foreword by IKEA Foundation 13
• Foreword by Royal Commission AlUla 14
• Summary for decision-makers 15
• Key messages 21
• Acknowledgements 24
• Glossary 25
• Acronyms and abbreviations 28
• Part I 30
• 1 Introduction 31
• 1.1 Introducing agriculture and conservation 31
• 1.2 What is ‘agriculture’? What is ‘sustainable agriculture’? 33
• 1.3 What is ‘biodiversity’? What is ‘conservation’? 38
• 2 Influences of agriculture on biodiversity 45
• 2.1 Agriculture as a threat to living nature 46
• 2.1.1 Crop cultivation 49
• 2.1.2 Plantations 52
• 2.1.3 Livestock farming and ranching 53
• 2.1.4 Dams and water management 54
• 2.1.5 Invasive alien species 55
• 2.1.6 Nutrient loading 55
• 2.1.7 Soil erosion and sedimentation 56
• 2.1.8 Herbicides and pesticides 56
• 2.1.9 Climate change 57
• 2.1.10 Indirect agricultural impacts 57
• 2.2 Agriculture as a habitat for living nature 59
• 2.2.1 Agricultural habitat classes 60
• 2.2.2 Genetic agrobiodiversity 62
• 2.3 Minimising the threats from agriculture to biodiversity, and maximising the benefits 62
• 3 Influences of nature on agriculture 69
• 3.1 Provisioning services 71
• 3.1.1 Biomass production 71
• 3.1.2 Genetic materials 71
• 3.2 Regulating and maintenance services 73
• 3.2.1 Global climate regulation 73
• 3.2.2 Local climate regulation and climate resilience 73
• 3.2.3 Soil creation, transport, and retention 76
• 3.2.4 Soil characteristics and quality 77
• 3.2.5 Water quantity (supply) and flood regulation 79
• 3.2.6 Water quality 82
• 3.2.7 Pollination 84
• 3.2.8 Pest and pathogen control 86
• 3.3 Negative impacts of nature on agriculture 87
• 3.4 Overall importance of ecosystem services 88
• 4 Prospects for delivery of outcomes for agriculture and conservation 91
• 4.1 Methods 91
• 4.2 Efficiency frontier results 93
• 4.2.1 Current outcomes 93
• 4.2.2 Optimising for biodiversity 94
• 4.2.3 Country comparison 97
• 4.3 Summary 99
• 5 Policies for delivery of outcomes for agriculture and conservation 101
• 5.1 Agricultural policy 101
• 5.1.1 Current agricultural support 101
• 5.1.2 Linkages between agricultural support and threats to species from agriculture 102
• 5.1.3 Aligning agricultural support with conservation 105
• 5.1.4 Sustainable intensification 105
• 5.1.5 Organic production 107
• 5.1.6 Local governance 110
• 5.1.7 International financial assistance for agriculture and biodiversity 111
• 5.2 Food policy 114
• 5.2.1 Changing diet 114
• 5.2.2 Reducing food loss and waste 115
• 5.2.3 Local food systems 116
• 5.3 Conservation policy 118
• 5.3.1 Protected area expansion 118
• 5.3.2 Safeguarding Key Biodiversity Areas 118
• 5.3.3 Restoration of agricultural ecosystems 120
• 6 Key messages and conclusions 125
• 6.1 Key messages 126
• 6.2 Priorities for uptake of key messages across actors 129
• 6.3 Coda: sustainability for agriculture and biodiversity? 130
• Part 2 134
• Sustainability indicators of nature and conservation 135
• REFERENCES 143
• Annexes 172
• Annex 1: Methods and supplemental data to chapters, figures, and tables 173
• Chapter 4 Annex: Prospects for delivery of outcomes for agriculture and conservation 176
• Annex to 5.1.2: Linkages between agricultural support and threats to species from agriculture 181