Proportion of agricultural land with minimum level of species diversity (crop and pasture)

Definition

The proportion of agricultural land with minimum species diversity is defined by the top global quartile of land with the highest species richness. The threshold number of species at which (and above) covers 25% of total global ag land (the 25% of land with the most diversity) is 24 species. Therefore, the indicator reflects the percentage of agricultural land per country with 24 or more species.

Relevance

Diversification (of portfolios, livelihoods, income, source of food, etc.) is an essential risk strategy well established in both theoretically and empirically in the general literature. The proportion of agricultural land with minimum level of species diversity (crop and pasture) contributes to landscape and livelihood buffering capacity, with more functionality to cope with for example unexpected environmental changes or shocks and spreading risks to cope with for example market volatility. It is therefore a relevant indicator reflecting the diversity of the agricultural production component of the food system.