News
New brochure 'Nature-Positive Futures'
Life on Earth is not possible without biodiversity and at least 40% of the world’s economy depends on biological resources. The status of biodiversity on land, in freshwater and the sea is directly linked to the major challenges of food security, preventing climate change, combating diseases and improving human health. In all its forms, from flowers and bees to bacteria, grasslands, mangrove forests and seagrass, tropical rain forests and even city gardens, resilient biodiversity is essential for combating climate change, providing clean air and water and for food production and disease prevention. Not least, it is a significant contributor to our quality of life.
However, we know that biodiversity is under enormous pressure worldwide. This
pressure is due to factors such as habitat fragmentation and decline, the loss of
plant and animal species, climate change, desertification, industrialisation,
urbanisation and the overuse of pesticides and fertilisers in our agro-ecosystems.
In response to this, Wageningen University & Research (WUR) is working hard to
create a world in which biodiversity flourishes. We do this through research and
education, very often in cooperation with businesses, government and civil society.
Download the leaflet
It is our objective now and in the future to “bend the curve of biodiversity loss”,
to play a positive role in the move towards more sustainable production and
consumption and to facilitate increased efforts for nature conservation. We identify
five interlinked entry points through which biodiversity can be protected, restored
and enhanced, where the climate regulation delivered by ecosystems can be
safeguarded and which can lead to increasingly nature-positive sectors, in particular for agriculture and food systems:
- Diverse fields and farms
- Biodiverse landscapes and seascapes
- Connected communities
- Sustainable food and diet
- Inclusive finance and trade
It is clear that we can only solve the biodiversity, climate and related crises if
we do it together. We from WUR will actively contribute to developing the
science and practice that will support every step of this collaborative journey.