Biodiversity is critical in regenerative agriculture as it enhances soil health, controls pests naturally, and improves water retention, leading to more resilient and sustainable farming systems.
Regenerative agriculture has gained attention worldwide as a holistic approach to manage agri-food systems, restore ecosystems, and conserve biodiversity [1]. For regions like Central America, regenerative agriculture is beginning to take hold. While this geographic area only comprises 0.1% of the world’s landmass, scientists estimate between 5-12% of the world’s biodiversity resides here.[2]
Yet, why does biodiversity matter for agriculture?
Biodiversity underpins every aspect of agriculture, from pest management and nutrient density. It is not just critical for ecological reasons, but for the overall health and sustainability of agricultural systems. Central America’s diverse ecosystems offer a wide variety of flora and fauna that naturally control pests, thus reducing the reliance on chemical fertilizers. This diversity of plants contributes to soil health by fixing nitrogen, cycling nutrients, and preventing erosion. Plant diversity and cover crops ensure water recharges and provides resistance to droughts. Science has shown across the globe that agroforestry systems - common in Central American coffee and cacao systems - can increase the connectivity and maintain biodiversity at the landscape scale[3].
CRS is already at the forefront of driving forward water and soil strategies on-farm, due to our Water Smart Agriculture (WSA) strategy that has been in effect since the early 2000s. Off-farm, our ten-year Blue Harvest approach has scaled up restoration, protection, and conservation of springs, rivers, and aquifers in the territories where coffee and other agroforestry systems are produced. For the true regeneration of upper watershed ecosystems, biodiversity needs to be a core consideration, as healthy watersheds depend on diverse plant and animal life. This helps regulate water quality, prevents erosion, and supports robust ecosystems in one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions.
Successful regenerative agriculture strategies go beyond the farm boundaries; they facilitate biodiversity corridors between natural areas and production systems. Only then can regenerative agriculture impact entire landscapes and deliver benefits for communities.
In June of 2024, we sent a delegation to the Latin American Regenerative Agriculture Summit in Mexico City, where we had the opportunity to share our expertise in water-smart agriculture with corporates, partner organizations, and experts in the sector. We heard many innovative approaches to ag-tech, carbon offsetting, and successful adoption of regenerative business models.
Yet, as an organization with many years of experience in Central America supporting smallholder farmers, we heard and can continue to be a leading voice to demonstrate why conserving biodiversity for regenerative agriculture can benefit farmers and conserve ecosystem services. It is imperative to place biodiversity at the forefront. Biodiversity is not just an ancillary benefit, but a fundamental component of a successful regenerative agriculture strategy.
[1]TNC & UFZ (2022). Regenerative Ranching and Agriculture (R2A): Conceptual framework. Technical Report. The Nature Conservancy Latin America and Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ
[2] Barthlott,W., Hostert, A., Kier, G., Kueper, W., Kreft, H., Mutke, J., et al. (2007).Geographic patterns of vascular plant diversity at continental to globalscales. Erdkunde 61, 305–315. doi: 10.3112/erdkunde.2007.04.01
[3] Jagoret,P., Kwesseu, J., Messie, C., Michel-Dounias, I., & Malézieux, E. (2014).Farmers’ assessment of the use value of agrobiodiversity in complex cocoaagroforestry systems in central Cameroon. Agroforestry systems, 88(6),983-1000.