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Global Hotspots of Conflict Risk between Food Security and Biodiversity Conservation

Author

Listed:
  • Amy Molotoks

    (Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK)

  • Matthias Kuhnert

    (Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK)

  • Terence P. Dawson

    (Department of Geography, King’s College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, UK)

  • Pete Smith

    (Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK)

Abstract

The global challenges of food security and biodiversity are rarely addressed together, though recently there has been an increasing awareness that the two issues are closely related. The majority of land available for agriculture is already used for food production, but despite the productivity gains, one in nine people worldwide are classified as food insecure. There is an increasing risk that addressing food insecurity through methods such as agricultural expansion or intensification could lead to biodiversity loss through destruction of habitats important for conservation. This analysis uses various indicators of biodiversity at a global scale, including biodiversity hotspots, total species richness, and threatened and endemic species richness. Areas where high biodiversity coexists with high food insecurity or a high risk of agricultural expansion, were examined and found to mainly occur in the tropics, with Madagascar standing out in particular. The areas identified are especially at risk of biodiversity loss, and so are global priorities for further research and for policy development to address food insecurity and biodiversity loss together.

Suggested Citation

  • Amy Molotoks & Matthias Kuhnert & Terence P. Dawson & Pete Smith, 2017. "Global Hotspots of Conflict Risk between Food Security and Biodiversity Conservation," Land, MDPI, vol. 6(4), pages 1-15, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:6:y:2017:i:4:p:67-:d:114115
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    3. Andrew Allee & Lee R. Lynd & Vikrant Vaze, 2021. "Cross-national analysis of food security drivers: comparing results based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale and Global Food Security Index," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(5), pages 1245-1261, October.
    4. Koko Warner & Zinta Zommers & Anita Wreford & Margot Hurlbert & David Viner & Jill Scantlan & Kenna Halsey & Kevin Halsey & Chet Tamang, 2019. "Characteristics of Transformational Adaptation in Climate-Land-Society Interactions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-22, January.
    5. Cheikh Mbow, 2020. "Use It Sustainably or Lose It! The Land Stakes in SDGs for Sub-Saharan Africa," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-19, February.
    6. Jianqiao Zhao & Yue Cao & Le Yu & Xiaoxuan Liu & Yichuan Shi & Xiaoping Liu & Rui Yang & Peng Gong, 2021. "Identifying Potential Cropland Losses When Conserving 30% and 50% Earth with Different Approaches and Spatial Scales," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-15, July.
    7. Yingtong Chen & Fei Wu & Dayong Zhang & Qiang Ji, 2025. "International Tourism and Global Biodiversity Risks," Papers 2505.15289, arXiv.org.
    8. Natasha Stoudmann & Lena M. Reibelt & Christian A. Kull & Claude A. Garcia & Mirana Randriamalala & Patrick O. Waeber, 2019. "Biting the Bullet: Dealing with the Annual Hunger Gap in the Alaotra, Madagascar," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-18, April.

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