Deciphering the Biodiversity–Production Mutualism in the Global Food Security Debate

authored by

Ralf Seppelt, Channing Arndt, Michael Beckmann, Emily A. Martin, Thomas W. Hertel

Abstract

Without changes in consumption, along with sharp reductions in food waste and postharvest losses, agricultural production must grow to meet future food demands. The variety of concepts and policies relating to yield increases fail to integrate an important constituent of production and human nutrition – biodiversity. We develop an analytical framework to unpack this biodiversity-production mutualism (BPM), which bridges the research fields of ecology and agroeconomics and makes the trade-off between food security and protection of biodiversity explicit. By applying the framework, the incorporation of agroecological principles in global food systems are quantifiable, informed assessments of green total factor productivity (TFP) are supported, and possible lock-ins of the global food system through overintensification and associated biodiversity loss can be avoided.

Organisation(s)

Institute of Geobotany

External Organisation(s)

Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ)
Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Purdue University

Type

Article

Journal

Trends in Ecology and Evolution

Volume

35

Pages

1011-1020

No. of pages

10

ISSN

0169-5347

Publication date

11.2020

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 2 - Zero Hunger

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2020.06.012 (Access: Open)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2021.02.012 (Access: Closed)