CropLife Asia and its members are marking this year’s International Day for Biological Development (Biodiversity Day) by highlighting the necessity of a biologically diverse planet in ensuring a sustainable future and how sustainable food systems are a major part of this.

The company also highlights that the plant science industry is increasingly “part of the solution” in supporting biodiversity.

Threats to biodiversity
At present, climate change, deforestation and human activity pose the greatest threats to biodiversity. 

This is particularly concerning as richness in biodiversity is vital in supporting agricultural systems and food production. Innovations in plant science offer solutions that can help mitigate a number of these threats to biodiversity.

“The goals of ensuring food security and strengthening biodiversity are not mutually exclusive, and we can’t afford to fail at either,” says Dr. Siang Hee Tan, executive director of CropLife Asia. 

“With the population continuing to grow in the region and globally, food productivity in Asia has to keep up to ensure an abundant supply of safe and nutritious food. At the same time, the sustainability of our food production practices is critically important to drive biodiversity conservation and preservation.”

When used responsibly, plant science innovations such as biotech seeds and crop protection tools help farmers feed the world while also supporting a healthy, biodiverse plant – but they’re only part of the larger solution needed, he outlines. 

“The plant science industry remains committed to working with all food value chain stakeholders toward protecting the rich biodiversity on which we all depend.”

Crop protection
The use of biotechnology and crop protection products helps reduce the need to convert natural habitats into farmland. 

Forests and other natural habitats can also thrive when crop protection products such as pesticides are used to control invading plants or insects that threaten native species. 

Biotech crops paired with herbicides also enable conservation tillage wher the soil is left undisturbed, thus allowing the natural biodiversity in the soil to flourish. 

The combined biological activity of the billions of organisms in the soil is essential to crop nutrition and soil health. The crop stubble left in the field from conservation tillage improves habitat and food sources for insects, birds and other animals. 

Benefiting future generations
Integrated Pest Management, also known as IPM, is a farming system of managing pests designed to be sustainable, protect biodiversity and also helps create wildlife habitats around farms. 

By utilizing both plant science innovations and IPM, farmers grow more on existing farmed land and minimize the need to expand into more biodiverse areas, preserving these lands for the benefit of future generations.

Last week, Bayer, the International Food Policy Research Institute and ETH Zurich joined forces to develop nature-based solutions that counteract biodiversity loss on farms.