COP16: A call to make peace with nature

By Matthias Berninger and Natasha Santos

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Until the early 1990s, biodiversity was considered by many to be a niche topic – one that concerned scientists but lacked broader awareness and a comprehensive global framework. And while the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro should have marked a turning point, biodiversity remained on the periphery for many years, overshadowed by the urgency of climate change, geopolitical conflicts and the pandemic.

In the meantime, populations of monitored animal populations (mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish) continued to plummet, decreasing by an average of 73% between 1970 and 2020. The human population more than doubled in the same time period, compounding changes in production and consumption patterns, technological innovations and governance that drove this decline in biodiversity.

Fortunately, in recent years, decision-makers have realized that the environmental and societal crises unfurling at a global level are deeply intertwined. The enactment of the Sustainable Development Goals was one key step in this shift, and in 2022, the adoption of an ambitious global framework for biodiversity – the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework – indicated a renewed commitment to addressing nature loss.

We need to act globally to see through the commitment to protecting or restoring 30% of ecosystems by 2030 (the 30x30 goal).

Biodiversity is a major pillar that supports the health of our planet, our food security, and the world’s economies. These are quantifiable threats: the WEF reports that $44 trillion of economic value generation – over half the world’s total GDP – is potentially at risk as a result of the dependence of business on nature and its services.

Most pertinently for Bayer, biodiversity is the foundation upon which our agricultural systems are built.

Biodiversity provides a range of ecosystem services, including regulating services like pollination or erosion control and supporting services like soil formation. And we are acutely aware that while multiple factors drive biodiversity loss (overexploitation, climate change, pollution, and invasive species, to name a few), changes in land and sea use are the primary threat to biodiversity, especially when they lead to the clearing and alteration of original and wild habitats. To be able to meet present and future demand for food, feed and fibre without taking more land under cultivation, Target 10 of the Global Biodiversity Framework highlights the importance of sustainable intensification as a biodiversity-supporting agricultural practice.

This is where Bayer can make a difference, and thus in this edition of the 120 months article series we will examine the role of agriculture in halting biodiversity loss.

How countries and companies can combat nature loss

As COP 16 in Cali, Colombia approaches, the focus is sharpening on the Global Biodiversity Framework, and what must be done if it is to yield results. As is ever the case with environmental crises, the effectiveness of any efforts will depend on the Framework’s implementation and countries’ ability to address the underlying drivers of biodiversity loss. For a succinct summary of what must be done, see the World Resources Institute’s (WRI’s) recent big-picture take on the steps countries must take in order to achieve the 30x30 goal (for further reading, see also their prescient 2018 piece on feeding the growing global population without overshooting planetary boundaries). To WRI’s list, however, we would also add the need to incentivize the private sector to help fill the funding gap. While some initiatives are underway – there is a burgeoning biodiversity credit market, for instance, while a number of significant financial institutions have signed the Finance for Biodiversity Pledge – governments can help increase the scope and ambition of corporate financing. For instance, they can shift biodiversity-damaging subsidies towards nature-positive actions and enact more effective regulation for biodiversity credit markets.

But now, let us zoom in on point number 2 – mainstreaming nature in policies on food and water. This is where agriculture, and players both big and small in the agricultural sector, need to step up. As we noted above, land use change is among the main drivers of biodiversity loss. But at the same time, with 1.6 billion more people living on Earth by 2050, we face a monumental challenge: how can we produce more food for an increasing global population, a large proportion of which is undernourished, at a time when agricultural productivity growth is slowing (down from 2.7% in the 2000s to 1.9% in the following decade) and our planet’s ecosystems are declining at an alarming rate?

The answer is clear: more than ever, we need to reconcile “producing more while restoring more” in the way we produce, process and consume our food.

This involves turning ambitious global targets (like the 30x30 initiative from the Global Biodiversity Framework) into actionable solutions – and doing so across the entire agrifood system.

Farmers as agents of change

Farmers are on the frontlines of this agricultural challenge, but their contribution is often underappreciated, and they face mounting pressures: price volatility, unpredictable weather, and a growing burden of political and regulatory demands. The only way to drive meaningful change is to equip them with the tools, knowledge, and support to deliver on the Global Biodiversity Framework targets during their daily activities without compromising their livelihoods or productivity.

One of the solutions available to farmers is regenerative agriculture , an outcome-driven model in which farming produces more and restores more at the same time.

Regenerative practices – such as no-till farming, cover cropping and diverse crop rotations – help boost soil vitality and strengthen below-ground biodiversity, while simultaneously helping farmers protect critical natural resources and increase productivity.

Regenerative agriculture revolves around soil health, which is both an enabler of higher productivity and a contributor to climate change mitigation. According to research from the FAO , improving soil health can boost productivity by up to 58%, while other studies show that healthier soils can reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions by over 30%, creating a win-win situation for both the environment and the farmer. Metrics such as soil organic matter, aggregate stability, and soil respiration are good indicators to characterize the soil’s ability to sequester carbon, prevent erosion, increase water infiltration, or support soil life. This illustrates the interconnection of soil health, biodiversity and climate resilience.

For example, based on data from Bayer’s Pro Carbono Plus program in Brazil, and Argentina – regenerative farming involving sustainable intensified management practices can boost productivity and profits, leads to healthier soils, and reduces GHG emissions. Within four years of adopting regenerative methods, participating farmers through different level of practices adoption (low/medium/high) saw their yields increase by a range of 3%-11%. At the same time, they had more biomass in the soil and a better carbon balance overall than the average Brazilian farmer (carbon improvement range from approx. 2.7% to 7.9%). Field trials in Brazil suggest that the potential benefits are even greater after four years, with a productivity increase of 21% and three times the amount of annual carbon sequestered in the soil when compared to a traditional farming approach.

Rolling out regenerative practices widely requires sensitivity, however. Soil conditions vary from farm to farm (sometimes even from field to field), while crucial groups like smaller holder farmers are often poorly equipped to take risks and absorb upfront costs. Bridging the gap needs participation from bigger players – like Bayer. For some years now, we have supported farmers in addressing the challenge of balancing crop production with conservation through region-specific solutions that protect biodiversity, mitigate climate change while maintaining productivity. Initiatives like Pro Carbono and Pro Carbono Commodities in Latin America, which promote deforestation-free soybean production, demonstrate that collaborative, large-scale efforts can successfully achieve both agricultural and conservation objectives.

Solutions to safeguard crops while minimizing environmental impact

While chemical crop protection products remain an integral part of modern agriculture, reducing their environmental impact is essential. This means making them more sustainable, optimizing use, and reducing their emissions into the environment.

The first of these requires investment in R&D: bigger players like Bayer can help reduce the impact of farming impact on ecosystems by driving innovations in crop protection – including biologicals , precision agriculture and target-based and profile-driven discovery of chemical inputs. Such technological advancements can further minimize agriculture’s environmental impact?without sacrificing productivity.

However, to address today’s agricultural challenges, empowering farmers to adopt targeted approaches is key: optimizing use and reducing emissions also depends – at least in part – on crop protection producers enhancing product development and stewardship. Precision agriculture technologies, powered by digital tools, are key here (they allow for a more targeted application of chemical and biological inputs where and when they are needed), as are product stewardship efforts to ensure proper and ecologically sensitive use and disposal of crop protection products. Bayer is mirroring the 30x30 goal of the Global Biodiversity Framework via our Crop Protection Environmental Impact Reduction commitment , as well as our Crop Science division's broader strategic pledge to reduce field GHG emissions . Agricultural companies must assume such responsibilities on a broad and ambitious scale if they are to contribute adequately to biodiversity protection. As for the environmental impact of crop protection, we cannot rely solely on commitments like Bayer’s alone. Regulators, in line with the Kunming-Montreal Framework, must pragmatically identify chemistry for which better chemical or biological alternatives exist based on agronomic and environmental benefits – and ensure that legislation sufficiently promotes these alternatives. This could provide the foundation for farmers to move from outdated products to better solutions as soon as they are accessible.

Sustainable intensification: increasing productivity in harmony with nature

Innovation cannot be the only solution, however – the “invisible hand” of the market needs to be guided.

Governments must help companies and farmers rise to the challenge of increasing food production to create harmony with nature and room for nature – and they must also help bridge the gaps in available solutions and their accessibility to farmers.

As an example, governments could supplement the Global Biodiversity Framework reporting requirements for farmers with incentive structures – including financial rewards and market access – that align with national biodiversity plans. Incentives are needed far beyond reporting, too: policymakers must support farmers by creating financial incentives for enabling ecosystem services, for example, and make agtech accessible to them worldwide. Only by combining technological innovation with policy support can the agricultural sector truly move toward sustainable intensification.

Humankind cannot escape its dependence on nature

The notion of nature as an interconnected whole is as old as humanity itself. This worldview forms the bedrock of many indigenous and First Nation cultures ; some, like the Lakota tribe of North America, and New Zealand’s Māori , even encapsulate this in their language. Yet at some point, many forgot or ignored our relationship and dependence on our ecosystems and surroundings, and began “waging war with nature”, as the UN Secretary General memorably wrote in 2021, also due to lacking advancements and knowledge in terms of tools and innovation. As a result, the “Anthropocene”, as our human-driven, post-industrialization age of technology and globalization has been dubbed, has had a tremendous impact on the planet. And this is in no small part because we have consistently acted as though the environmental crises triggered by human activity were separable from one another.

We can still steer a different course for the future. Fostering biodiversity, tackling climate change and protecting a thriving tapestry of life is predicated on recognizing that our prosperity is inextricably linked to the health of our ecosystems.

Restoring nature is possible if we meet global demand for food, fibre, feed and fuel by harnessing innovation at the intersection of A.I., biology and chemistry and ensuring that farming communities around the world have access to them.

This is where Bayer Crop Science’s mission, “unlocking solutions that shape the future of agriculture”, will be crucial. At COP16 we have an opportunity to channel this mindset and make peace with nature – let us all, governments and companies alike, ensure that the rich diversity of our planet continues to sustain future generations.