Downward Trend Is Reversible

Ambitious, integrated action combining conservation and restoration efforts with a transformation of the food system. This is the recipe for turning the tide of biodiversity loss by 2050 or earlier, a new study led by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) with participation of researchers from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) suggests. Using multiple models and scenarios, the team investigated whether and how it might be feasible to improve the status of biodiversity while at the same time complying with other sustainability constraints related to land use. The study was published in "Nature" and forms part of the latest WWF Living Planet Report. Biodiversity - the variety and abundance of species, along with the extent and quality of the ecosystems they call home - has been declining at an alarming rate for many years due to human activity. While ambitious targets have been proposed in many different policy processes, practical issues such as feeding the Earth's growing human population could make reaching such targets a challenge. The reason is that nature conservation and food production compete for the same areas.