Study reveals farming for nature doesn’t need to jeopardise food security
NATURE-FRIENDLY FARMING TECHNIQUES can boost biodiversity without reducing food production, a new study has found.
Scientists from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) spent a decade monitoring a Defra-funded experiment at Hillesden, a 1,000ha commercial arable farm in Buckinghamshire.
Different wildlife habitats were created including tussocky grass margins to support a range of birds, insects and small mammals. The population of all bird species increased by 33 percent compared to an average of just under 13 percent at other monitored sites, while butterfly numbers rose by 40 percent compared to 21 percent elsewhere.
Significantly, they found that overall levels of food production were maintained despite the loss of agricultural land for habitat creation.
