Conventional vs Organic Farming: Biodiversity

In which ways does agriculture affect our environment and our daily lives? Read the introductory post to this series here. Part 1 explored the theme of water, while part 2 focused on soil fertility under organic vs. conventional farming systems. Here, let’s see how farming impacts biodiversity! Which farming system is better for biodiversity: organic or conventional?

As I’m writing these lines, I’m looking at the cherry trees in my neighbour’s garden. They are in full bloom now, their sweet scent carried by the wind. The air is vibrating with visiting bees and bumblebees, butterflies are ornamenting the delicate, white blossoms in exploding colours. In the background, I can hear the birds singing. What a joyful sight!

My dear reader, this post is not about a romantic sight in my garden. It’s about the basis of our existence. About being but a co-creature amongst the diversity and beauty that exists on Earth. About – biodiversity.

Why does biodiversity matter?

Biodiversity stands for the diversity, or variety, of species on Earth. Probably most have heard of the massive starvation of species that has been going on during the last decades. It’s the tragedy of our birds, insects, mammals, fish, plants… Between 1970 and 2016, we’ve seen a 60% decline in wildlife populations.

While biodiversity is fundamentally important for the stability of our ecosystems in general, there are four straight-forward benefits we gain from the diversity of life on Earth. These so-called ecosystem services are:

• production of oxygen, processes like soil formation for which many organisms are indispensable

• providing food, drinking water or medicinal plants for human use (think of pollination through bees, for example, which accounts for about 1/3 of our food supply)

• protection from the impact of tsunamis, floods or erosion and helping to regulate climate change

• cultural value, as people find rest in diverse, natural landscapes

Farming vs. biodiversity?

Agriculture is often blamed for the biodiversity loss we are experiencing currently. Just in the last 30 years, 75% of insect biomass has disappeared from our landscapes.

Ironically, agriculture at the same time relies on biodiversity to keep functioning! Farmers need bees and other insects for pollination, insects need weeds, and weeds need a space to exist among aggressive herbicides & food crops. It’s a vicious cycle. But at the end of the day, we need to admit that it is only be seeking the good of all life on Earth that we can thrive, too.

Solutions

Given that organic farmers don’t use herbicides to kill their weeds, we should be able to see a difference in the biodiversity on organically managed farmland. After all, weeds sustain insects and birds, and many birds in turn feed on insects.

So, can organic agriculture do anything about biodiversity loss?

According to the study (1), it can. Under organic management, weed species numbers on arable land were 95% higher, field birds were 35% and insects were 23% more numerous. Overall, 86% (flora) and 49% (fauna) of the cases compared showed distinct advantages through organic farming. Nevertheless, the authors of the study point out that the landscape structure in general has a significant impact on biodiversity, especially on the fauna.

Thus organic farming alone cannot fix all our problems. We need to rethink the way we relate to farming & to the environment. We need to reconsider how much we take from nature and how we can live in harmony with the rest of this beautiful creation. And we need to reimagine what eating, what agriculture really is. Until then, organic farming certainly is a step in the right direction when it comes to preserving biodiversity!

In part 4 of this series, we’re going to explore whether organic or conventional farming are better at combating climate change. It’s going to be an interesting episode, so don’t miss out on that!

In another, more in-depth post, I write about the significance of weeds for biodiversity. You will be surprised just how important weeds are for the survival of insects, birds, and lastly our own on this planet! Read more here.

You might also be interested in my other articles on biodiversity:

• Havens Of Biodiversity
• What Do Goldfinches, Railways and Biodiversity Have In Common?

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Sources:

(1) Sanders J, Hess J (eds) (2019) Leistungen des ökologischen Landbaus für Umwelt und Gesellschaft . Braunschweig: Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut, 364 p, Thünen Rep 65, DOI:10.3220/REP1547040572000