Farms are the Solution

We cannot wait to tackle the issue of biodiversity loss; too much is at stake. Without biodiversity, farms would not survive and our plates would be empty.

Biodiversity is the foundation for our survival. But unfortunately, we are in the midst of the 6th mass extinction—the worst loss of species since the dinosaurs disappeared. At the current rate of species disappearance, we should expect for 30-50% of all species to be facing extinction by 2050.

Biological diversity includes native species and the ecosystem processes they provide. Many plants won't be pollinated without pollinators. Natural pest control won't happen without natural enemy insects, beneficial birds and mammals present. We won't have clean water without plants naturally filtering farm runoff. And we won't have carbon storage in soils and woody biomass without plants supporting this process. 

Farms can conserve biodiversity, benefiting from it along the way. The key is diversifying the farm itself, and farmers can do that using a number of practices. UC Berkeley’s research findings are reinforcing that diversified farming systems progress and support the farm all along a simple to complex continuum—from mixed cropping and livestock systems, cover crops, hedgerows and riparian corridors on the farm—to natural landscapes surrounding the farm.