How to Prevent Habitat Loss Worldwide: New Research Details

The food system could be soon triggered by quick and widespread biodiversity loss. And that’s not all.

According to recent research, the worldwide food system really needs to be protected and changed to prevent a huge habitat decline. Such a thing means that what we eat and the way it is produced will have to change, too.

Here is what you need to know.

The Food System Must Be Changed

The recent research highlights that without a significant change to the food systems, natural habitats could be forever lost by 2050. Can we prevent this hazard?

An international research team is now discussing all the issues the habitats could encounter. It is also estimating how the agricultural expansion is likely to affect over 15,000 species of birds, mammals, and amphibians.

Biodiversity in danger

Researchers estimated how food systems would trigger biodiversity. They connected predictions of how much agricultural land every region will need.

For that, the team used a novel model that foretells where agricultural expansion and abandonment are most prone to happen. The results were truly worrying.

Many of the species that might be the most affected are not threatened with extinction. 

A Saving Mission is Needed

So far, reversing and slowing biodiversity focused on some conservation movements, including the development of new protected regions and species-specific legislation for threatened species. 

The recent research, however, discusses the significance of lowering agricultural expansion and the possible impact of making some brave changes. 

In the future, we can reduce food loss and waste and realize international land-use planning that could highly reduce predicted biodiversity losses. For instance, we can increase agricultural yields and offer significant benefits to biodiversity in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Dr Michael Clark, the lead author of the research, released a statement. He said:

“[…] with global coordination and rapid action, it should be possible to provide healthy diets for the global population in 2050 without major habitat losses.”