ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION FOR FOOD SECURITY
Continuing loss of ecosystems services at current rates through land degradation, reduced amount of water for irrigation, nutrient depletion, declining pollination and lower natural pest control such as of invasive species could seriously jeopardize world food production and depress required production by up to 25% by 2050 (UNEP, 2009). Loss of pollina- tion alone has been estimated to account for a value of 9.5% of the global agricultural out- put used for human consumption in 2005 (Allen-Wardell et al. 1998; Brown and Paxton, 2009; Gallai et al., 2009). Restoration of ecosystems and reversing land degradation are of particular importance to the impoverished, so dependent upon the environment for their productivity, food security and health (Lal, 2009; UNEP, 2009; Sodhi et al., 2010).
Restoration for improving food security not only includes land management of forests, ecotones along field edges and streams, but also in supporting more diversified and resilient eco-agriculture systems that provide critical ecosystem services (water supply and regulation, habitat for wild plants and ani- mals, genetic diversity, pollination, pest control, climate regu- lation), as well as adequate food to meet local and consumer needs (UNEP, 2009; Sandhu et al., 2010). This includes man- aging extreme rainfall and using inter-cropping to minimize dependency on external inputs like artificial fertilizers, pesti- cides and blue irrigation water and the development, imple- mentation and support of green technology also for small-scale farmers (UNEP, 2009; 2010). More efficient irrigation systems can reduce water consumption by 15–20% without a yield de- cline (Boumann et al., 2007).
Wild crop relatives (UNEP, 2009) can be important in restor- ing degraded agricultural lands and genetic diversity is likely to become in creasingly important in future restoration projects.
FAO defines food security as follows: ‘Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic ac- cess to sufficient, safe and nutritious food for a healthy and active life (FAO, 2003). This involves four dimensions:
• • • • •
adequacy of food supply or availability; stability of supply, without fluctuations or shortages from season to season; accessibility to food or affordability; utilization: quality and safety of food.
Ecosystems are the very foundation of all agricultural produc- tion. UNEP has, in the “Environmental food crisis” (UNEP, 2009), described how environmental degradation may lead to up to 25% reduction in global food production by 2050, higher food prices, greater volatility and greater regional inequality, with the greatest impacts on the impoverished and particularly in Africa. Restoring degraded lands is therefore an utmost pri- ority (Lal, 2009).
Restoration for food security must address 5 components mainly: Restoration to reduce infestations of invasive species, pests and diseases, and restore natural enemies by diversification of production and species and natural habitats along edges and in fields including diversified and resilient eco-agricul- ture systems, including establishing host-plants for natural predators or active biological control. Indeed, the ecosystem services value of organic compared to conventional farming has been estimated 1,610–19,420 USD/ha/year compared to
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