Multifunctional landscapes

Land is under increasing pressure from competing demands form agriculture, forestry, conservation, mining and energy sectors to name a few. Meanwhile, growing populations and persistent food insecurity increases the need for more efficient and more sustainable agriculture. Agriculture is a major driver of biodiversity loss and a significant contributor to land degradation and greenhouse gas emissions. Moving towards multifunctional agricultural and food systems could help address these challenges.

Multifunctional landscapes are those that support and enhance  the benefits of different land uses on the same area; for instance, combining agriculture, forestry, conservation, recreation, urban development, or green spaces. Bringing these otherwise competing land uses together holds the potential to reduce land use competition, prevent further deforestation and biodiversity loss and support sustainable agricultural production. For example, adjacent forests and tree coverage on or near farmed land can help with microclimate regulation by providing shade and enhance pollination services that can improve productivity by boosting crop yields and quality.

However, the current economic structure favours single crop systems that are often resource-intensive, pushing ecosystems to the brink and locking us into a cycle of monocultures. For multifunctional systems to work, supply and value chains need to adapt to improve access and profitability of such production systems.