Impacts of the global food system on terrestrial biodiversity from land use and climate change

The global food system is a major driver of land-use and climate change, both of which significantly impact biodiversity. This study uses the EXIOBASE multi-regional input-output model to assess the biodiversity impacts embedded in the global food system in 2011. By employing models that account for regional biodiversity sensitivity to land use and climate change, the researchers calculated land-driven and greenhouse gas-driven footprints of food using two biodiversity metrics: local species richness and rarity-weighted species richness. The results highlight that land area alone underestimates biodiversity impact in species-rich regions, and rarity-weighted richness emphasizes biodiversity costs in Central and South America. Methane emissions were found to be responsible for 70% of the overall greenhouse gas-driven biodiversity footprint. The study suggests that in several regions, emissions from a single year's food production cause biodiversity loss equivalent to 2% or more of that region's total land-driven biodiversity loss. The simple calculation methods presented could be integrated into governmental and business decision-making and environmental impact assessments.

Elizabeth H. Boakes, Carole Dalin, Adrienne Etard, Tim Newbold