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Biodiversity and nature are essential to support life on Earth. They clean our air and water, regulate the planet’s atmosphere, and improve our quality of life.

However, global biodiversity is under pressure. Since 1970, global wildlife populations have fallen by 69%. The food system is reliant on biodiversity, and widespread loss will impact the system’s ability to produce food.

Global biodiversity collapse

A research paper in 2021 stated that “the global food system is the primary driver of biodiversity loss”. The conversion of land and intensification of agriculture has reduced the quantity and quality of land available for nature and biodiversity. Agriculture is the primary threat for 86% of species at risk of extinction.

Global biodiversity contributes to a wealth of ecosystem services such as the pollination of crops, the regulation of the climate and the control of pests and diseases.

Agriculture is reliant upon nature for its success. Insects are pollinators of 80% of all plant species in Europe. The economic value of this process is estimated to be around 10% of global agricultural production.

Terrestrial insect populations are declining at a rate of around 10% per decade. Continued pollinator decline is estimated to reduce global fruit and vegetable production by 3-5%. In a system reliant on finite land, needing to feed a growing population, lost production raises serious challenges.

Each year, the value of these ecosystem services is diminished. Around 4 million hectares of forest are lost each year, with 60% of this attributed to agriculture for food production.

This not only destroys habitats but also releases large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, challenging our ability to mitigate climate change.

Governments have made global commitments to support nature and biodiversity, the food system will be required to support these goals.

Biodiversity in the UK

The UK is now one of the most nature-depleted countries on earth. Of the G7 countries, the UK has the lowest level of biodiversity remaining. Since 1970, the abundance of wildlife has fallen by 19%.

In response, the government launched the 25 year Environment Plan, aimed at restoring wildlife-rich habitats, increasing woodland and improving the approach to soil management.

The food system is being required to change its approach given that 70% of the UK’s land is used for agriculture, as covered in chapter 2.

Healthy soils are essential for the UK’s food production as well as supporting progress towards environmental and biodiversity targets. Soil degradation increases carbon emissions and the risk of flooding, costing the economy around £1.2bn a year.

Modern agriculture is the primary driver of poor soil health. The government's Environmental Land Management Scheme has a keen focus on soil health - two out of the first three Sustainable Farming Incentive Standards focus on this.

Much like other environmental challenges, monitoring soil health is a challenge. The government is expected to release a soil health map towards the end of the decade. The aim is that all soils in England will be managed sustainably by 2030.

Competing priorities

For biodiversity to improve, reducing the burden on land will be required, as discussed in detail in our article on agriculture. This is a goal that is central to the environmental plans of both the UK and EU.

These goals can be achieved through four primary levers: shifting the dietary preferences of consumers, less intensive farming systems in some places, greater intensification in other areas, and allowing land to be set aside for nature.

Competition between land being used for agriculture or nature could create risks to future food security.

The UK government has committed to maintaining the current level of food production. Meeting this target will be challenging and could limit the available land for nature.

Businesses and organisations across the food system have ambitious sustainability goals linked to supporting biodiversity and nature. The Soy Manifesto and Plastic Pact are driven by biodiversity and nature concerns.

These targets are at times competing with other sustainability goals. For example, in some circumstances, plastic may be the most carbon-efficient packaging material, essential to making progress toward Net Zero. Still, it can be at odds with the commitments of the Plastic Pact to keep plastic out of the natural environment.