Agricultural areas with diverse crops, habitats can help wildlife thrive: Study

SINGAPORE – With agricultural lands and livestock paddocks expanding into natural ecosystems, feeding the world can come at the expense of the world’s biodiversity.

The study found that farms with more diversified landscapes, such as those that grow different types of crops, or those that intersperse crop rows with semi-natural features, such as grassy strips, shrubs and wildflower patches, can support diverse species of insects, birds and bats. Similarly, in south China, farmlands with smaller fields of sugar cane, corn, rice and vegetables within the same farmland had more pollinators like bees and butterflies.

Previous studies have shown that a larger assemblage of pollinators, such as butterflies, bats and bees, can improve crop yields. However, he added: “When we look at the practicality of these strategies, they cannot be applied by many farmers because it will affect profit.”The lead author of the NTU study, Mr Tharaka S. Priyadarshana, said this body of research suggests the need to rethink farming practices to improve the environment while safeguarding farmers’ livelihoods. PHOTO: NTU

Society’s well-being depends on nature – 55 per cent of the global gross domestic product, equivalent to US$58 trillion , is dependent on nature, professional services firm PwC found in 2023. In 2018, the World Wildlife Fund, an environmental group, also reported that the global valuation of ecosystem services is at least US$125 trillion every year.

Both Unilever and Nestle, which produce consumer goods such as ice cream and coffee, highlighted the steep learning curve for farmers adopting sustainable practices. This ensures the farmers have a stable income despite the climate challenges, and allows farmers to invest in sustainable farming practices without the immediate pressure of financial insecurity.

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