Balancing agricultural practices to conserve biodiversity and ensure agricultural production in Dutch Apple
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2024-07-08
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en
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Abstract
Pollinators are crucial for apple cultivation. Research has shown that diversity in wild bee species around
apple orchards makes the system more resilient and enhances production quality. However, the
population of wild bee species have been strongly homogenising for decades due to pressures of
agricultural intensification, where yields must keep increasing to keep up with the growing demand for
food production.
The whole system of biodiversity and food security is complex and includes interdependencies. In this
study a simulation model was built to investigate the feedback loops that affect yield and biodiversity.
The model uses indicators of wild bee species and apple yield in the Netherlands to investigate and
analyse the behaviour the system. The model shows the difficulty of facilitating system change and
bridges the gap between solely focusing on yield and profit or biodiversity. This research focussed on
apple cultivation and wild bee species. These indicators are both affected by practices in agriculture and,
therefore, usable as indicators for food security and biodiversity.
The identified feedback loops show that the decreased diversity of wild bee species leads to lower yields
and lower satisfaction with conventional farming for farmers. If farmers find non-conventional farming
more profitable, they convert land and benefit wild bee species by reducing habitat loss. However,
chemical input and technological developments continuously increase yield for conventional land use.
As non-conventional yield does not increase, conventional farming becomes more profitable again,
halting the conversion to non-conventional land use. This prevents structural changes in the agricultural
system over time.
The findings underscore the need for comprehensive analysis considering the trade-offs among different
farming practices. They also emphasize the complexity of navigating agricultural shifts. The research
contributes by using system dynamic modelling to provide a holistic analysis of the system and its
behaviour. It highlights insights and supports policy development.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen