What is Biodiversity?

You may have heard of biodiversity in the context of wildlife, but do you know that it is just as relevant in agriculture? In agriculture and farming, it means incorporating and combining many different aspects of farming into one system. It also means the coexistence and even combination of agriculture and nature for a more sustainable world. This can include planting multiple crops on the same field to mimic the way the crops would be found in nature. It can also include having multiple animals on the same pasture, having both animals and crops on the same farm, etc. In this system, the presence of bees and other insects is crucial in order to mimic a natural ecosystem as much as possible. Soil health is also incredibly important when discussing biodiversity. This means that on farms that practice biodiversity, crops are rotated often as to not overwork the ground and keep it as healthy as possible. Pesticides are also not used in these systems. Biodiversity is something that is often practiced in organic farming, and is a system that the agricultural sector is trying to move towards as a way to make farming more sustainable.