One third of farmland drives two thirds of agriculture's biodiversity and carbon loss

A global analysis published in Nature Food indicates that a single third of the planet’s agricultural land generates roughly two thirds of the biodiversity and natural carbon-storage damage linked to farming. The study, led by scientists at Leiden University’s Institute of Environmental Sciences, the Oxford Martin School and China Agricultural University, identifies high-impact zones in parts of South America, Central America, sub-Saharan Africa, South-East Asia, India and China where intensive agriculture overlaps carbon-rich, biodiverse ecosystems.

Animal-based foods, especially beef and dairy, are the chief drivers, delivering eightfold higher carbon loss and 14-fold higher biodiversity loss per calorie than plant-based foods. Trade shifts about 18% of these impacts across borders, making Brazil the top net exporter and China the top net importer of agricultural carbon and biodiversity loss. Restoring the most damaged 30% of farmland could sequester around 170 billion tonnes of carbon and cut extinction risk by roughly 60%, offering a dual benefit for climate and nature.