Farmers Benefit from Having Nature Nearby, Research Shows

July 11, 2019 - Kerry Hensley

University of British Columbia ecologist Diane Srivastava, with a damselfly, an insect often used as an indicator species for estimating biodiversity and assessing ecosystem health. (T. Zulkoskey)

WASHINGTON - Farmers reap surprising benefits from having areas that are biodiverse with many plant and animal species nearby, according to new research. A study finds that having diverse natural areas near agriculture helps farmers financially during droughts, and the more diverse the areas are, the better. Policies that preserve biodiversity near farms may ease economic pressure in places with severe droughts, the authors say.

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Bruno Basso, an ecosystems scientist at Michigan State University who was not involved in the research, commented in an email that the researchers had been able to show that "biodiversity and forest conservation play a critical role in adapting and mitigating the negative effects of increased climate variability."

See full article at Voice of America.