One-third of global farmland drives two-thirds of biodiversity loss

The Story in Brief

A study in Nature Food finds that one-third of global farmland accounts for two-thirds of farming-linked biodiversity loss and carbon storage loss. Beef and dairy production alone cause 41 per cent of biodiversity damage and 29 per cent of carbon loss. Animal-based foods on average cause eight times more carbon loss and 14 times more biodiversity loss per calorie than plant-based foods. The research, led by Leiden University, Oxford, and China Agricultural University, identifies hotspots in South America, Africa, Southeast Asia, India, and China. International trade moves 18 per cent of these impacts, with Brazil as top net exporter and China as top net importer. The authors say restoring the worst-affected 30 per cent of farmland could capture 170 billion tonnes of carbon.