Written by Bart Kapteijns, ICA

The Myth

Food production and Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) are always in conflict.

The Reality

Food production and NBS are often portrayed as competing priorities, but that is an outdated idea. Farming systems that work with nature—such as agroecology, regenerative agriculture, and agroforestry—enhance soil health, biodiversity, and resilience to extreme weather while maintaining or even improving yields over time. When agricultural landscapes are designed around ecological principles, they strengthen food security and natural capital simultaneously.

It is also a misconception that NBS-aligned farming always reduces yields. While short-term changes during transition phases can be challenging, the long-term evidence shows improved stability, reduced input costs, and higher resistance to droughts, floods, and pests. Moreover, these approaches often integrate modern technology such as climate-smart monitoring, decision-support tools, or biodiversity sensors—demonstrating that “working with nature” can go hand in hand with innovation.

References

1. Smith, P. et al. (2020). “How Nature-based Solutions contribute to food security and climate mitigation.” Global Change Biology, 26(7), 3511–3521.
2. FAO (2021). Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems: Transforming Food Systems to Achieve the SDGs.
3. IPCC (2022). Sixth Assessment Report – Working Group II: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability.
4. IUCN (2020). Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions.