Benefits That Can’t Wait: Farmland Biodiversity for Farmers and Society
Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse are two of the biggest challenges humanity faces today. Why does it matter? Think of biodiversity as nature’s way of providing essential, free services, like food, clean air, and fresh water, that we often take for granted. All life on Earth depends on it, including our own.
Since farmland covers most of Europe’s land, the way we manage it plays a key role in helping to halt biodiversity loss. Here is how farmland biodiversity benefits not just farmers, but society as a whole.
What Is Farmland Biodiversity?
While biodiversity is the variety of all life on Earth, farmland biodiversity, also known as agricultural biodiversity, refers specifically to all living organisms and ecosystems connected to farming. This covers rare seed varieties, animal breeds, soil organisms, weeds, pests, predators, and native plants and animals, not only on the farm itself but also in the surrounding landscapes and habitats.
Protecting and maintaining a diverse range of plants, animals, and microorganisms on farms offers many benefits, and we will take a closer look at some of them.
Farmland Biodiversity for Farmers and Society - Key Benefits
Improved soil health and fertility
Underground life, including bacteria, fungi, earthworms, and other insects, is essential for healthy, productive farmland. At least 25% of the planet’s biodiversity is found in the soil, and according to the Joint Research Centre’s European Soil Data Centre, soil biodiversity provides services valued between €1.2 trillion and €10 trillion.
These diverse soil organisms help break down organic matter, cycle nutrients, and maintain soil structure. This improves air flow, water retention, and the availability of nutrients that crops need to grow. Healthy soil leads to better crop yields, reduced need for chemical fertilisers, and greater resilience to drought and erosion.
The benefits of farmland biodiversity go well beyond the farm. Biodiversity supports vital ecosystem services such as pollination and maintains wild plant populations, contributing to food production, keeping our drinking water clean, and mitigating climate change.
Nutritious feed for livestock and pollinators
Diverse pastures with a mix of grasses, herbs, and legumes can offer a more nutritious and balanced feed for livestock compared to monoculture grasslands. Multi-species swards have the potential to improve animal health, growth rates in sheep and cattle, and milk yields in dairy cows. Multi-species swards and clover incorporation can reduce the need for costly feed supplements and dependence on expensive chemical nitrogen. For example, clover is a natural substitute for nitrogen fertiliser, and its use can help keep farm input costs down.
At the same time, a diversity of plants on farmland provides essential food and nesting habitats for pollinators like bees and butterflies. When we consider that over 75% of the world’s food crops and nearly 90% of wild flowering plants depend, at least partly, on animal pollination, it is clear that farmers have an important role in protecting pollinators by providing them with food and safe habitats.
Better water management during floods and droughts
Soil erosion, floods, and droughts create serious challenges for farmers, such as lower crop yields and loss of income. In the EU alone, soil erosion causes an estimated €1.2 billion in productivity losses each year. A diversity of plants improves soil structure and increases its ability to absorb and hold water, helping the ground stay moist during dry periods. This supports healthier crops and reduces the negative effects of drought.
Wetlands, woodlands, and field margins help manage heavy rain. They absorb extra water and release it slowly, which can help prevent flooding. For example, woodlands can prevent soil erosion, while field margins have the potential to slow down water runoff and allow more water to soak into the soil.
Natural protection against pests and diseases
Biodiversity can help farmers manage pests and diseases in a natural way. Areas like beetle banks and grassy field margins provide shelter and food for insects that feed on crop pests. For example, having more grassy field edges within 1 km has been shown to reduce aphid numbers in cereal fields. This means farmers can rely less on chemical pesticides, which reduces costs and there are additional benefits for the environment.
More plant and habitat diversity also helps break the cycles of diseases, making it harder for them to spread across fields. In this way, biodiversity works as a natural form of pest control, supporting healthier crops and more resilient farmland.
Support for adapting to climate change
Trees and hedgerows help make weather conditions on farmland more stable by reducing wind, providing shade, and cooling the air during hot days. This creates a better environment for crops and animals, especially during extreme heat, helping to reduce heat stress in livestock, protect crop yields, and lower the risk of losses.
Beyond these local benefits, farmland biodiversity also plays an important role in addressing climate change by storing carbon in plants and soil, a process known as carbon sequestration, which helps reduce the impact of greenhouse gases. That is why the EU’s Climate Law recognises ecosystem restoration and biodiversity-friendly farming practices as key measures to boost carbon storage, remove more carbon from the atmosphere, and support agriculture in adapting to climate change.
How Can FarmBioNet Support Farmland Biodiversity?
We all benefit from biodiversity, and we all share the responsibility for protecting our planet. By implementing biodiversity-friendly farming practices, farmers not only see benefits on their own farms but also contribute to global efforts to protect our environment and fight climate change. But to achieve this, farmers need support and stronger cooperation.
That is where FarmBioNet comes in. This project was funded by the EU to encourage knowledge exchange between farmers, foresters, researchers, advisors, and other key stakeholders. At the core of FarmBioNet is the establishment of a European Network encompassing 12 national networks. These networks will facilitate the exchange of both traditional and evidence-based actions that promote biodiversity on farms. Through multi-actor engagement and the development of practical tools, FarmBioNet will help practitioners adopt, expand, and share Biodiversity-Friendly Farming practices.
Conclusion
Protecting farmland biodiversity is essential for the future of farming and our planet. FarmBioNet supports this goal by helping farmers and experts work together to put biodiversity into action across Europe. Follow us on social media Linkedin, Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, and Bluesky to stay informed and see how we are contributing to this effort.
