Biodiversity and Food Security in Ecosystem Contexts
Summary
Biodiversity underpins the resilience and productivity of global food systems by maintaining ecosystem functions such as pollination, nutrient cycling and soil fertility. Diverse species assemblages in forests, agroecosystems, freshwater and marine habitats contribute genetic resources for crop improvement, buffer agricultural yields against climatic variability and supply essential micronutrients through wild and cultivated foods. The loss of habitat, land-use intensification and climate change threaten this biotic wealth, undermining both the quantity and quality of food available to vulnerable populations. Integrating biodiversity conservation with sustainable agricultural and forestry practices—such as agroforestry, mixed-crop rotations and the protection of key wildlife corridors—enhances ecosystem services while bolstering local livelihoods. Across tropical and temperate regions, evidence indicates that landscapes managed for heterogeneity support higher dietary diversity, improve nutritional outcomes and foster more equitable access to nutrient-rich foods. Policymaking that spans environmental, agricultural and nutritional sectors is essential to safeguard ecosystem health, achieve Sustainable Development Goal 2 on zero hunger and to ensure that future generations inherit both a rich natural heritage and robust food security.
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Biodiversity and Food Security in Ecosystem Contexts publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in biodiversity and food security in ecosystem contexts across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Biodiversity: Variation among living organisms within and among ecosystems, essential for ecosystem stability and productivity.
Food security: Condition in which all people, at all times, have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food for an active and healthy life.
Ecosystem services: Benefits provided by ecosystems, including pollination, water regulation, soil formation and nutrient cycling.
Non-timber forest products: Biological materials other than timber harvested from forests, such as fruits, nuts, fungi and medicinal plants.
Dietary species richness: A measure of the number of distinct species consumed in a diet, reflecting the biodiversity of food sources and potential nutritional gain.
References
- Food security effects of forest sector participation in rural Liberia. Food Security (2024).
- Dietary species richness as a measure of food biodiversity and nutritional quality of diets. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (2017).
- Impacts of forests on children’s diet in rural areas across 27 developing countries. Science Advances (2018).
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