Biodiversity is being lost at an alarming rate. One of the main causes of this loss is the land-use change caused by the expansion of conventional agriculture and livestock production. Management practices such as monocultures and the intensive use of agrochemicals reduce the number of species of plants, birds, insects and other taxonomic groups, and increase, at the same time, the relative abundance (dominance) of one or a few cultivated and wild (e.g., weed) species. Given that ~40% of the terrestrial surface is occupied by crop and livestock lands, it is critical to increase food production without destroying biodiversity. In addition to the value given by its ethical and spiritual dimensions, and the potential use of future generations, in this article we discuss the value of biodiversity for agriculture, using pollinators as a case of study. Paradoxalement, l'agriculture conventionnelle réduit la diversité des pollinisateurs, mais cette diversité est nécessaire pour la productivité accrue (et la stabilité temporelle et spatiale) des crops. Several studies show that the loss of wild pollinator diversity cannot be replaced by a high abundance of a single pollinator species (dominance). Therefore, we discuss actions that producers, consumers, politicians and scientists can take to recover diversity. For example, producers can implement management practices in- and outside the crop fields to increase floral and nesting resources, and therefore pollinator abundance and diversity. En outre, les consommateurs peuvent modifier les régimes, réduire les déchets et produire des aliments à petite échelle, entre autres actions. One single strategy will not be enough to solve the dilemma of producing food and preserving biodiversity. We argue that multiple actions must be taken urgently from all the stakeholders.DOI : https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.17.27.3.0.494

Biodiversity is being lost at an alarming rate. One of the main causes of this loss is the land-use change caused by the expansion of conventional agriculture and livestock production. Management practices such as monocultures and the intensive use of agrochemicals reduce the number of species of plants, birds, insects and other taxonomic groups, and increase, at the same time, the relative abundance (dominance) of one or a few cultivated and wild (e.g., weed) species. Given that ~40% of the terrestrial surface is occupied by crop and livestock lands, it is critical to increase food production without destroying biodiversity. In addition to the value given by its ethical and spiritual dimensions, and the potential use of future generations, in this article we discuss the value of biodiversity for agriculture, using pollinators as a case of study. Paradoxically, conventional agriculture is reducing pollinator diversity, but this diversity is necessary for increasing productivity (and its temporal and spatial stability) of many crops. Several studies show that the loss of wild pollinator diversity cannot be replaced by a high abundance of a single pollinator species (dominance). Therefore, we discuss actions that producers, consumers, politicians and scientists can take to recover diversity. For example, producers can implement management practices in- and outside the crop fields to increase floral and nesting resources, and therefore pollinator abundance and diversity. In addition, consumers can modify diets, reduce waste and produce food at small scales, among many other actions. One single strategy will not be enough to solve the dilemma of producing food and preserving biodiversity. We argue that multiple actions must be taken urgently from all the stakeholders.DOI: https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.17.27.3.0.494

Biodiversity is being lost at an alarming rate. One of the main causes of this loss is the land-use change caused by the expansion of conventional agriculture and livestock production. Management practices such as monocultures and the intensive use of agrochemicals reduce the number of species of plants, birds, insects and other taxonomic groups, and increase, at the same time, the relative abundance (dominance) of one or a few cultivated and wild (e.g., weed) species. Given that ~40% of the terrestrial surface is occupied by crop and livestock lands, it is critical to increase food production without destroying biodiversity. In addition to the value given by its ethical and spiritual dimensions, and the potential use of future generations, in this article we discuss the value of biodiversity for agriculture, using pollinators as a case of study. Paradoxically, conventional agriculture is reducing pollinator diversity, but this diversity is necessary for increasing productivity (and its temporal and spatial stability) of many crops. Several studies show that the loss of wild pollinator diversity cannot be replaced by a high abundance of a single pollinator species (dominance). Therefore, we discuss actions that producers, consumers, politicians and scientists can take to recover diversity. For example, producers can implement management practices inside and outside the crop fields to increase floral and nesting resources, and therefore pollinator abundance and diversity. In addition, consumers can modify diets, reduce waste and produce food at small scales, among many other actions. One single strategy will not be enough to solve the dilemma of producing food and preserving biodiversity. We argue that multiple actions must be taken urgently from all stakeholders.DOI: https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.17.27.3.0.494

يتم فقدان التنوع البيولوجي بمعدل ينذر بالخطر. أحد الأسباب الرئيسية لهذه الخسارة هو تغيير استخدام الأراضي الناجم عن التوسع في الزراعة التقليدية والإنتاج الحيواني. تقلل ممارسات الإدارة مثل الزراعة الأحادية والاستخدام المكثف للكيماويات الزراعية من عدد أنواع النباتات والطيور والحشرات والمجموعات التصنيفية الأخرى، وتزيد في الوقت نفسه من الوفرة النسبية (الهيمنة) لواحد أو عدد قليل من الأنواع المزروعة والبرية (مثل الأعشاب الضارة). وبالنظر إلى أن حوالي40 ٪ من سطح الأرض تشغله أراضي المحاصيل والثروة الحيوانية، فمن الأهمية بمكان زيادة الإنتاج الغذائي دون تدمير التنوع البيولوجي. بالإضافة إلى القيمة التي تعطيها أبعادها الأخلاقية والروحية، والاستخدام المحتمل للأجيال القادمة، نناقش في هذه المقالة قيمة التنوع البيولوجي للزراعة، باستخدام الملقحات كحالة للدراسة. ومن المفارقات أن الزراعة التقليدية تقلل من تنوع الملقحات، ولكن هذا التنوع ضروري لزيادة الإنتاجية (واستقرارها الزمني والمكاني) للعديد من المحاصيل. تظهر العديد من الدراسات أن فقدان تنوع الملقحات البرية لا يمكن استبداله بوفرة عالية من نوع واحد من الملقحات (الهيمنة). لذلك، نناقش الإجراءات التي يمكن للمنتجين والمستهلكين والسياسيين والعلماء اتخاذها لاستعادة التنوع. على سبيل المثال، يمكن للمنتجين تنفيذ ممارسات الإدارة داخل حقول المحاصيل وخارجها لزيادة موارد الأزهار والتعشيش، وبالتالي وفرة الملقحات وتنوعها. بالإضافة إلى ذلك، يمكن للمستهلكين تعديل الأنظمة الغذائية وتقليل النفايات وإنتاج الطعام على نطاقات صغيرة، من بين العديد من الإجراءات الأخرى. لن تكون استراتيجية واحدة كافية لحل معضلة إنتاج الغذاء والحفاظ على التنوع البيولوجي. ونجادل بأنه يجب اتخاذ إجراءات متعددة بشكل عاجل من جميع أصحاب المصلحة .DOI: https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.17.27.3.0.494