Cropland Use and Biodiversity: A Global Perspective
In a recently published paper, Carla Coelho, Pål Börjesson and Henrik Smith, Lund University, assess the biodiversity impacts of global agricultural production. Their findings reveal that approximately 20 countries account for 75% of the potential land-use impact on biodiversity. Countries with large cropland areas, such as India, China, and the USA, contribute significantly to these impacts. However, some countries with small cropland areas, like Comoros and Ecuador, have disproportionately high impacts due to their unique ecological characteristics and vulnerability.
The method applied was published in 2023, and is part of the methods recommended by UNEP- Life cycle initiative GLAM. “It builds on over 20 years of development on how to assess land use impacts in the life cycle assessment”, says Carla Coelho, postdoc Mistra BIOPATH with an expertise in life cycle assessment”, Centre for Climate and Environmental Sciences, Lund University.
The method uses relative species loss as an indicator of biodiversity impacts. It measures how many species are present in a specific land use type, such as cropland, compared to the number of species in natural areas within the same ecoregion. “In essence, it assesses how many species are in the land use of interest, in relation to what should be there.” says Carla Coelho. The approach allows comparisons both within and between eco-regions and offers insights for companies aiming to understand biodiversity impacts within their supply chains.
Carla Coelho, postdoc, Mistra BIOPATH
“I have enjoyed the opportunity to dig deep into this method and understand it thoroughly” underlines Carla Coelho. “In Mistra BIOPATH we talk a lot about the metrics, and by going deep into this method one can see how there are still a lot of difficulties in data availability and that we still need to use proxies for global comparisons.”
A bachelor student who applied this same method to pork production, comparing different feeds and comparing against the results of an earlier study. They found that although the absolute values were different, the recommendations were more or less the same. “I look forward to like to keep applying this method to other test cases within in BIOPATH, there is a lot to learn.”, says Carla Coelho.
Understanding land use impacts of croplands on biodiversity through UNEP’s Global Guidance for Life Cycle Impact Assessment
Cropland. Photo: Nikeolett Emmert, Unsplash.
About LCA and GLAM
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a method used to evaluate the environmental impacts of human activities. Initially focused on industrial systems, LCA has evolved to include the impacts of land use on biodiversity. The UNEP's Global Guidance for Life Cycle Impact Assessment Indicators and Methods (GLAM) provides a framework for assessing these impacts. The latest recommended method for assessing land use impacts on biodiversity, incorporates land-use intensity and habitat fragmentation.