Farming without sacrificing biodiversity boosts productivity and sustainability.
In this article, scientists examined how protecting biodiversity can affect crop production on intensive farms. They looked at UK cereal farms from 1989 to 2000. By using a model and real data, they found that having more kinds of plants on these farms actually improved their productivity over time. In simpler terms, having a greater variety of plants on intensive farms can help them produce more, without needing extra resources like chemicals. So, it turns out that preserving biodiversity in farms can be good for both nature and the crops we grow.