Farming for Biodiversity Matters
The Issue
Growing the food to feed our planet takes more than 570 million farms worldwide, most of which are small—operating on less than two hectares—and family-run. In developing countries, small-scale agriculture is a mainstay of employment and subsistence for men and women, and it supplies most of the food consumed in urban areas.
Biodiversity is essential for agriculture and serves as its base. However, unsustainable agricultural practices remain one of the greatest threats to healthy ecosystems and biodiversity. With the world population expected to reach nine billion by 2050 and as climate change further threatens livelihoods, we need to identify more sustainable agricultural practices that support both farmers and the environment upon which we all depend.
Our Solution
The good news is many solutions already exist at the community level. At the global level, the Convention on Biodiversity’s Aichi targets creates a path towards biodiversity protection and sustainable use by 2020. Consumers are also becoming increasingly aware of how their choices affect the environment and the people who depend on it.
Farming for Biodiversity—the 2017 Solution Search theme—surfaces what works for farmers at the community level and takes these bright spots to scale. It is designed to identify, celebrate and help replicate community-driven solutions from around the world that align biodiversity preservation with agricultural production. Our vision is to make these community-led initiatives shine and reach thousands of people worldwide. This is how we do it.
In 2017, we joined PANORAMA – Solutions for a Healthy Planet to showcase some of the best ways to connect agriculture with biodiversity. Through our global crowdsourcing effort, we have surfaced a total of 338 solutions—inspired by communities around the world—that show us how to do this.
Explore the 10 brightest ideas, selected by our jury:
Winning Solutions
A global jury of more than 30 agriculture and biodiversity experts from across disciplines selected winning solutions in six categories. These are our local champions who were celebrated for their successes at the annual climate change conference in Bonn (COP23).
Where We Work
Our scaling campaigns, based on behavioral insights and the latest knowledge in sustainable agriculture, occur in nine countries: Benin, Bolivia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, Peru, and Vietnam.
By the Numbers
based on media coverage (BBC, Thomson Reuters, Deutsche Welle, NPR, and others)
in behavioral insights, technical knowledge, and organic agriculture trends
by local leaders in 9 countries running 36 campaigns that promote proven agriculture solutions
Our Partners
Solution Search: Farming for Biodiversity is driven by a global alliance of organizations aiming for more sustainable land use and agriculture.
Rare teamed up with IFOAM – Organics International as Implementing Partners to combine our expertise in behavior design and social marketing with IFOAM’s role as a global leader in in organic farming.
Solution Search: Farming for Biodiversity contest partners included the following: Blue Solutions, the Convention on Biological Diversity, EcoAgriculture Partners, Global Island Partnership, IFOAM – Organics International, Panorama, Patagonia, Save the Children, and Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD). The initiative is supported by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety.
