Food production and nature

So what is biodiversity?

Biodiversity is all the different kinds of life you can find in an area - the variety of animals, plants, fungi and microorganisms that make up our natural world. All of these creatures are linked together into food chains, food webs and ecosystems.

Like the threads in a spiders web, if any of the links in the food web are damaged, the system is not able to function as well as it could.

How am I linked to nature?

We are part of nature! Nature includes biodiversity as well as all the systems and services that natural systems provide, for example flood regulation, nutrient recycling, pollination and climate regulation. All these natural services are called ecosystem services.

Put simply, nature is essential for human survival. Without it, we would have no air to breathe, no water to drink and no food to eat.

🎲 Have a go at our ecosystems services quiz.......

So what is the problem?

Our large global food systems often mean that how and where food is produced significantly reduces biodiversity. Examples include clearing rainforest to produce palm oil or removing hedges to make larger fields.

At the moment, biodiversity is declining faster than at any time in human history. In Scotland, between 1994 to 2016, there was a 49% decline in Scottish species1

Agriculture is the main land-use in Scotland and how farmers manage the land is very important for biodiversity.

Less biodiversity = less plants, animals & microorganisms = poor pollination, low water quality & unhealthy soils.

This then makes it harder to produce the food that we need to survive.

Is there a solution

There are solutions, but we need action now to halt any further loss. There is a global target to protect 30% of the planet for nature by 2030, ‘30 by 30’ which Scotland has also committed to achieving.

Supporting nature on the farm

Support can be provided for farmers to produce food in a more nature and biodiversity-friendly way.

Farmer case studies

Find out more about what farmers are doing to support nature with some case studies:

Freda Scott-Park farms at Portnellan Farm, an organic pasture-fed beef farm in Gartocharn, Scotland.
Meet Helen who runs Middleton Croft in Sutherland in the Northwest Highlands.

🎲Find out more about farming with nature using the links below

🎲 Watch Amy's video and see if you can answer the quiz questions.

Farming with nature Find out more about what Amy is doing on her farm to help nature and the wider environment.

Nature's Calendar

Nature's CalendarHelp us track the effects of weather and climate change on wildlife near you.

Biodiversity on the farm

Where we found our information

1 The State of Nature Scotland 2019 https://www.nature.scot/doc/state-nature-scotland-report-2019

30 by 30 networks https://www.nature.scot/professional-advice/protected-areas-and-species/30-30-and-nature-networks/30-30-explained

Scottish Government: Lets do net zero https://www.netzeronation.scot/

Nature friendly farming network https://www.nffn.org.uk/category/farmer-stories/

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