Promote biological diversity across the landscape

A diversity of species and structures across a landscape may help to reduce the susceptibility of its individual components to climate change, as well as other changing environmental conditions and stressors (Peterson et al. 1998; Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 2007; Liebman and Schulte 2015; McGranahan 2014). Although many agricultural systems are inherently low in diversity to maximize production, risk can be reduced by fostering diversity across landscapes (Liebman and Schulte 2015; Schulte Moore 2014). At a landscape level, natural ecosystems and naturalized settings (e.g., field borders, native plantings, etc.) can increase environmental services such as water quality, wildlife abundance, pollinator habitat, and carbon sequestration (Liebman and Schulte 2015). Trade-offs to consider include good agricultural practices (GAP) required to prevent bird and similar wildlife disease vectors and as required for food safety inspections.

Individual farms, fields pastures, and grazing lands are part of a larger, landscape-level agroecosystem that provides critical ecosystem services and non-commodity goods in addition to agricultural products (McGranahan 2014). Because of the global nature of climate change, impacts will be observed across landscapes and regions. Actions to increase landscape diversity and connectivity can increase the ability of systems to adapt to changing environmental conditions and stresses (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 2007; Liebman and Schulte 2015; McGranahan 2014). While the ability of individual producers to affect landscape-level change will vary widely, the integration of landscape considerations into farm management may help to increase adaptive capacity of the agriculture sector in the long term.