‘Agriwilding’ Combines Food Production and Biodiversity Restoration

A 15-year-old, 5-acre agriwilding system in Belgium is successfully combining food production and biodiversity restoration, according to research published in the journal Biological Conservation. Agriwilding is nature-inclusive farming consisting of diverse mosaics of perennial food crops, fruit and nut trees, shrubs, species-rich grasslands, and small landscape features such as ponds and swales. This study found more and different species of butterflies and moths and higher populations in the agriwilding demonstration than in regional rural nature reserves, suggesting that agriwilding could create habitat that is hard to find elsewhere. Researchers suggest that agriwilding could help farmers support biodiversity goals without taking land out of production.