The Times Australia
The Times World News

.
Times Media

.

a case study in how restoring habitat is a win-win for forests and farmers

  • Written by Sofía López-Cubillos, Postdoctoral research fellow, The University of Melbourne
a case study in how restoring habitat is a win-win for forests and farmers

Bees are crucial[1] for producing many of our beloved foods and beverages. Coffee is one crop that benefits from bee pollination[2].

Unfortunately, pollinator numbers are falling[3] worldwide. Many are facing extinction[4]. This decline is due in part[5] to ever-expanding farmland covered by a single kind of crop plant – agricultural monocultures.

Restoring pollinators’ habitat is essential, both to stop their decline and to maintain food production. Calls for large-scale restoration, such as the UN Decade of Restoration[6], are ambitious and may compete with other land uses. In addition, restoration often has an upfront cost, while its benefits could take time to obtain.

However, our new research[7] shows that coffee farmers who restore patches of forest across their properties can nearly double their profits with just a 15% increase in natural habitat over five years. The benefits, a result of higher pollinator numbers, continue to increase for both farmers and forest over the long term (40 years). This is the first study that assessed such benefits in the long term and at a large scale.

Read more: How the birds and the bees help coffee plants[8]

Finding a sweet spot

Planting trees without planning that takes all factors into account may lead to poor conservation or economic outcomes. For instance, tree planting in unsuitable arid areas of China[9] ultimately led to further environmental degradation, although the aim was to combat desertification.

For our study, we set up two clear objectives:

  1. to maximise coffee profitability
  2. to maximise restoration of forest that pollinators could use.

We used Costa Rica as a case study because of the wealth of information on pollination services for coffee in this region. One study found forest-based pollinators increased coffee yields by 20%[10] within 1 kilometre of forest. So the presence of a healthy population of pollinators has a big impact on farmers’ revenue.

Hands picking coffee berries off the bush
Coffee production depends on a healthy population of pollinators. Shutterstock

Read more: Boosting bee diversity can help stabilise crop production – new research[11]

A common practice to increase profits is to expand cropland by clearing forest. Therefore, restoring coffee lands to forest may involve trade-offs. To account for this, we considered two different planning contexts:

  1. only restoration and no agricultural expansion
  2. a mix of restoration and agricultural expansion.

We also compared multiple scenarios to assess the trade-offs between focusing solely on coffee profitability (objective one) versus giving more priority to restoring habitat for bees (objective two), and everything in between. Our mathematical modelling then selected the best locations to restore habitat (or expand agriculture) for each scenario.

There was a sweet spot between both objectives when practising only restoration. We found coffee farms can increase economic benefits by 98% after five years by increasing forest area by 15%. After 40 years, the economic benefits increase by about 109% with a 19% increase in forest area.

We also found that if farmers restore habitat without expanding agriculture, profits are steadier. When farmers restore and expand at the same time, this adds an element of volatility.

Aerial view showing patches of forest among areas of coffee crops
Farmers need to find a sweet spot between habitat for pollinators and cleared land for growing crops. Shutterstock

Read more: Restoring forests often falls to landholders. Here's how to do it cheaply and well[12]

Small or big patches?

We found restoring many small patches throughout the farmed area maximised pollination services. Bees can only travel fairly short distances, ranging from 40 metres to 3 kilometres. Dispersed forest patches allowed the bees to reach more coffee plants.

However, while smaller patches are generally suitable for pollinators, other species have different needs. Restoring large areas is important for species that travel longer distances, such as the jaguar (Panthera onca), or for forest specialists that need dense forest to thrive[13].

However, having only a big patch of restored forest in an area of farmland may isolate species that have a large home range. In contrast, restoring small patches of land can provide important corridors for mammals[14].

In our study, we found other solutions that restored a mix of big and small patches at the same time. These solutions can still can deliver good economic and restoration outcomes. Having a mix is important because it allows biodiversity conservation and farming to co-exist[15].

Ideally, farmers who have large patches restored on their land would receive financial compensation. This could make up for the farmers’ upfront and ongoing costs, such as sapling cost and labour to maintain plants throughout some years. At the same time, neighbouring farms[16] will benefit from bees travelling to and pollinating their crops, even if habitat isn’t restored on this land.

Read more: Tropical forests can recover surprisingly quickly on deforested lands – and letting them regrow naturally is an effective and low-cost way to slow climate change[17]

bees on white coffee flowers
Having forest nearby increases the numbers of bees that can get to the coffee plants and pollinate their flowers. Shutterstock

Importantly, these findings support solutions for farmers with different environmental outlooks. Some farmers may be generally supportive of conservation, leading to more proactive restoration actions and no clearing of forest. Other farmers may place a high importance on expanding agricultural production to improve their livelihoods.

Our study takes into account both contexts. Our findings show strategic habitat restoration for pollinators produces win-win outcomes for farming and the environment in both cases.

References

  1. ^ Bees are crucial (www.cell.com)
  2. ^ benefits from bee pollination (www.sciencedirect.com)
  3. ^ pollinator numbers are falling (www.inrae.fr)
  4. ^ facing extinction (www.weforum.org)
  5. ^ due in part (abcnews.go.com)
  6. ^ UN Decade of Restoration (www.decadeonrestoration.org)
  7. ^ new research (journals.plos.org)
  8. ^ How the birds and the bees help coffee plants (theconversation.com)
  9. ^ tree planting in unsuitable arid areas of China (www.sciencedirect.com)
  10. ^ increased coffee yields by 20% (www.pnas.org)
  11. ^ Boosting bee diversity can help stabilise crop production – new research (theconversation.com)
  12. ^ Restoring forests often falls to landholders. Here's how to do it cheaply and well (theconversation.com)
  13. ^ dense forest to thrive (www.nature.com)
  14. ^ important corridors for mammals (link.springer.com)
  15. ^ biodiversity conservation and farming to co-exist (besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com)
  16. ^ neighbouring farms (besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com)
  17. ^ Tropical forests can recover surprisingly quickly on deforested lands – and letting them regrow naturally is an effective and low-cost way to slow climate change (theconversation.com)

Read more https://theconversation.com/coffee-brought-to-you-by-bees-a-case-study-in-how-restoring-habitat-is-a-win-win-for-forests-and-farmers-205932

The Times Features

Amazon Australia and DoorDash announce two-year DashPass offer only for Prime members

New and existing Prime members in Australia can enjoy a two-year membership to DashPass for free, and gain access to AU$0 delivery fees on eligible DoorDash orders New offer co...

6 things to do if your child’s weight is beyond the ideal range – and 1 thing to avoid

One of the more significant challenges we face as parents is making sure our kids are growing at a healthy rate. To manage this, we take them for regular check-ups with our GP...

Joykids Australia Presents the Joykids Family Rave: A Weekend Adventure Like No Other

Get ready to kick off the first day of summer and the festive season with an unforgettable family adventure! Joykids Australia is excited to announce the Joykids Family Rave—an...

New study suggests weight loss drugs like Ozempic could help with knee pain. Here’s why there may be a link

The drug semaglutide, commonly known by the brand names Ozempic or Wegovy, was originally developed[1] to help people with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar levels. How...

Maintaining Your Pool After a Marble Interior Upgrade

After upgrading your pool with a marble interior, it’s crucial to understand that maintenance is key to preserving its elegance and longevity. You’ll want to regularly skim for d...

Labor using explanatory document to hide true powers of Misinformation Bill

The opinions and commentary of individuals could be deemed misinformation under Labor’s proposed legislation changes, according to James McComish of Victorian Bar. Appearing in...

Times Magazine

The AI Revolution in Local SEO: Your Personalized Concierge to Customer Connections

Gone are the days of generic "near me" searches and basic keyword optimization. Today's local SEO landscape thrives on deep personalization, hyper-local relevance, and real-time understanding of customer intent. And driving this evolution is none o...

Top 5 Personalised Birthday Gift Ideas

Remember as a child how excited you were when it was going to be your birthday? Remember how the night before was always so frustrating, all you wanted to do was rip open that present you asked for to see - well... The thing you asked for? Or eve...

What Cycling Gear Do You Need the Most?

We believe everyone needs to prioritize their safety and comfort while cycling. That's why helmets top our list, as they're critical for protecting your head in case of an accident. We also can't overlook the importance of reflective clothing and lig...

Brisbane’s Moreton Bay Region

Golden moments await in Brisbane’s Moreton Bay region; from 2 for 1 seniors’ deals to morning Tai Chi by the water Embracing the golden years is a joyous journey, and in the picturesque Moreton Bay region, seniors are met with an array of exciti...

Outdoor Blinds: Enhancing Comfort, Aesthetics, and Versatility in Outdoor Spaces

Outdoor living has become a cherished aspect of modern homeownership, with homeowners seeking to extend their living areas into the great outdoors. Whether it’s for entertaining guests, enjoying a quiet afternoon, or simply relaxing with a book, cr...

Essential Maintenance Tips for Keeping Your Swift Springs in Good Shape

Swift springs are a special kind of spring that has been around for centuries. They were first used in clockmaking and other intricate mechanical devices, but over time, they have evolved to become a vital part of a variety of different industries...