Integrated spatial planning for biodiversity conservation and food production

Fastré, C., van Zeist, W.-J., Watson, J.E.M., & Visconti, P. (2021). Integrated spatial planning for biodiversity conservation and food production. One Earth 4 (11) 1635-1644. 10.1016/j.oneear.2021.10.014.

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Abstract

Ambitious area-based conservation targets are at the forefront of the post-2020 biodiversity conservation agenda. However, implementing such targets cannot be done without accounting for the increasing demand for farmland products, the main driver of biodiversity loss worldwide. Here, we analyze the expected conservation gains and farming opportunity costs of three alternative global conservation strategies under business-as-usual demand in farmland products by 2030. We find that integrated spatial planning can reach the same species conservation objectives at 25%–40% of the opportunity cost for food production, or 400%–600% the biodiversity benefit for similar opportunity costs as opposed to planning for each objective separately. This requires managing over 60% of land in ways that are compatible with biodiversity conservation, which includes restoring 8%–11% of land surface. Achieving global conservation targets can be compatible with protecting biodiversity and ensuring food security but only with efforts to negotiate land governance strategies across multiple stakeholders and their objectives.

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