•Biodiversity conservation is compatible with global agricultural production•This, however, requires planning for both objectives into a single spatial planning process•60% of Earth should be managed for conservation to protect land mammals and birds•Between 8% and 11% of Earth's natural habitats need to be restored We evaluate to what extent three alternative global conservation strategies would benefit terrestrial mammal and bird species conservation and impact global food demand by 2030. We find that we must manage over 60% of the Earth's land surface for conservation to prevent the extinction of most mammals and birds. To reach this target, 8%–11% of the world's degraded natural habitats should be restored to a natural state. This can be achieved at virtually no cost for agricultural production if biodiversity and food production targets are planned and met concomitantly. Our analyses lend support for the necessity of adopting the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework Action Target 1 of ensuring that “all land and sea areas globally are under integrated biodiversity-inclusive spatial planning addressing land- and sea-use change, retaining existing intact and wilderness areas.” Ambitious area-based conservation targets are at the forefront of the post-2020 biodiversity conservation agenda. However, implementing such targets cannot be done without accounting for the increasing demand for farmland products, the main driver of biodiversity loss worldwide. Here, we analyze the expected conservation gains and farming opportunity costs of three alternative global conservation strategies under business-as-usual demand in farmland products by 2030. We find that integrated spatial planning can reach the same species conservation objectives at 25%–40% of the opportunity cost for food production, or 400%–600% the biodiversity benefit for similar opportunity costs as opposed to planning for each objective separately. This requires managing over 60% of land in ways that are compatible with biodiversity conservation, which includes restoring 8%–11% of land surface. Achieving global conservation targets can be compatible with protecting biodiversity and ensuring food security but only with efforts to negotiate land governance strategies across multiple stakeholders and their objectives. Ambitious area-based conservation targets are at the forefront of the post-2020 biodiversity conservation agenda. However, implementing such targets cannot be done without accounting for the increasing demand for farmland products, the main driver of biodiversity loss worldwide. Here, we analyze the expected conservation gains and farming opportunity costs of three alternative global conservation strategies under business-as-usual demand in farmland products by 2030. We find that integrated spatial planning can reach the same species conservation objectives at 25%–40% of the opportunity cost for food production, or 400%–600% the biodiversity benefit for similar opportunity costs as opposed to planning for each objective separately. This requires managing over 60% of land in ways that are compatible with biodiversity conservation, which includes restoring 8%–11% of land surface. Achieving global conservation targets can be compatible with protecting biodiversity and ensuring food security but only with efforts to negotiate land governance strategies across multiple stakeholders and their objectives. IntroductionThe Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) “Aichi” target 11 established a global commitment to protect an ecologically representative, well-connected, effectively, and equitably managed 17% of land and 10% of the oceans by 2020. While the areal component of target 11 has been almost achieved, very limited progress has been made on the qualitative elements of this target,1Secretariat of the Convention on Biological DiversityGlobal Biodiversity Outlook 5. Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, 2020Google Scholar, 2UNEP-WCMC, IUCNNGSProtected Planet Live Report 2020 (August Update).2020https://livereport.protectedplanet.net/Google Scholar, 3Coad L. Watson J.E.M. Geldmann J. Burgess N.D. Leverington F. Hockings M. Knights K. Di Marco M. Widespread Shortfalls in Protected Area Resourcing Undermine Efforts to Conserve Biodiversity.2020: 259-264Google Scholar, 4Maxwell S.L. Cazalis V. Dudley N. Hoffmann M. Rodrigues A.S.L. Stolton S. Visconti P. Woodley S. 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Protected area targets post-2020.Science. 2019; 364: 239-242Google Scholar Proposals advocating for larger percentage area targets have also emerged,6Mace G.M. Barrett M. Burgess N.D. Cornell S.E. Freeman R. Grooten M. Purvis A. Aiming higher to bend the curve of biodiversity loss.Nat. Sustain. 2018; 1: 448-451Google Scholar, 7Hannah L. Roehrdanz P.R. Marquet P.A. Enquist B.J. Midgley G. Foden W. Lovett J.C. Corlett R.T. Corcoran D. Butchart S.H.M. et al.30% land conservation and climate action reduces tropical extinction risk by more than 50%.Ecography (Cop.). 2020; : 1-11https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.05166Google Scholar, 8Chauvenet A.L.M. Watson J.E.M. Adams V.M. Di Marco M. Venter O. Davis K.J. Mappin B. Klein C.J. Kuempel C.D. Possingham H.P. 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A global plan for nature conservation.Nature. 2017; 550: 48-49Google ScholarThe acceptance of a bolder area-based conservation agenda at the 15th CBD Conference of the Parties 9Dinerstein E. Vynne C. Sala E. Joshi A.R. Fernando S. Lovejoy T.E. Mayorga J. Olson D. Asner G.P. Baillie J.E.M. et al.A global deal for nature: guiding principles, milestones, and targets.Sci. Adv. 2019; 5: eaaw2869Google Scholar,12Mehrabi Z. Ellis E.C. Ramankutty N. The challenge of feeding the world while conserving half the planet.Nat. Sustain. 2018; 1: 409-412Google Scholar, 13Pimm S.L. Jenkins C.N. Li B.V. How to protect half of Earth to ensure it protects sufficient biodiversity.Sci. Adv. 2018; 4: 1-9Google Scholar, 14Dinerstein E. Olson D. Joshi A. Vynne C. Burgess N.D. Wikramanayake E. Hahn N. Palminteri S. Hedao P. Noss R. et al.An ecoregion-based approach to protecting half the terrestrial realm.Bioscience. 2017; 67: 534-545Google Scholar, 15Bhola N. Klimmek H. Kingston N. 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Biol. 2021; 35: 168-178Google Scholar is possible with the present post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) proposing two ambitious action targets: target 1 “Ensure that all land and sea areas globally are under integrated biodiversity-inclusive spatial planning addressing land- and sea-use change, retaining existing intact and wilderness areas”; and target 3 “Ensure that at least 30 per cent globally of land areas and of sea areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and its contributions to people, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well-connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscapes and seascapes.”However, the protection of a large proportion of the planet would likely result in conflicts with other land uses such as croplands and pastures and could potentially impact global food production and local livelihoods.12Mehrabi Z. Ellis E.C. Ramankutty N. The challenge of feeding the world while conserving half the planet.Nat. Sustain. 2018; 1: 409-412Google Scholar,16Visconti P. Bakkenes M. Smith R.J. Joppa L. Sykes R.E. Socio-economic and ecological impacts of global protected area expansion plans.Philos. Trans. R. Soc. B Biol. Sci. 2015; 370https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2014.0284Google Scholar,17Williams D.R. Clark M. Buchanan G.M. Ficetola G.F. Rondinini C. Tilman D. Proactive conservation to prevent habitat losses to agricultural expansion.Nat. Sustain. 2020; Google Scholar Therefore, it is crucial that assessments of area-based proposals are undertaken in terms of their socio-economic implications, especially for farmland production,12Mehrabi Z. Ellis E.C. Ramankutty N. The challenge of feeding the world while conserving half the planet.Nat. Sustain. 2018; 1: 409-412Google Scholar,18Büscher B. Fletcher R. Brockington D. Sandbrook C. Adams W.M. Campbell L. Corson C. Dressler W. Duffy R. Gray N. et al.Half-Earth or whole Earth? Radical ideas for conservation, and their implications.Oryx. 2016; 51: 407-410Google Scholar and their potential to conserve biodiversity.5Visconti P. Butchart S.H.M. Brooks T.M. Langhammer Penny F. Daniel M. Vergara S. Yanosky A. Watson J.E.M. Protected area targets post-2020.Science. 2019; 364: 239-242Google Scholar,13Pimm S.L. Jenkins C.N. Li B.V. How to protect half of Earth to ensure it protects sufficient biodiversity.Sci. Adv. 2018; 4: 1-9Google ScholarRecent studies have assessed the implications of taking extreme assumptions with regard to setting aside half the terrestrial planet for conservation in terms of food production shortfalls12Mehrabi Z. Ellis E.C. Ramankutty N. The challenge of feeding the world while conserving half the planet.Nat. Sustain. 2018; 1: 409-412Google Scholar and number of people affected,19Schleicher J. Zaehringer J.G. Fastré C. Vira B. Visconti P. Sandbrook C. Protecting half of the planet could directly affect over one billion people.Nature Sustainability. 2019; 2: 1094-1096Google Scholar finding that, depending on how conservation areas are prioritized, up to one billion people could be affected, in ways that depend on the local context and the specific governance and management of these areas,19Schleicher J. Zaehringer J.G. Fastré C. Vira B. Visconti P. Sandbrook C. Protecting half of the planet could directly affect over one billion people.Nature Sustainability. 2019; 2: 1094-1096Google Scholar and 15%–31% of cropland and 10%–45% of pasture could also be compromised.12Mehrabi Z. Ellis E.C. Ramankutty N. The challenge of feeding the world while conserving half the planet.Nat. Sustain. 2018; 1: 409-412Google Scholar Other studies identified ways to meet global demand for food and fiber through transformational socio-economic and technological changes and trade optimization.17Williams D.R. Clark M. Buchanan G.M. Ficetola G.F. Rondinini C. Tilman D. Proactive conservation to prevent habitat losses to agricultural expansion.Nat. Sustain. 2020; Google Scholar,20Leclère D. Obersteiner M. Barrett M. Butchart S.H.M. Chaudhary A. De Palma A. DeClerck F.A.J. Di Marco M. Doelman J.C. Dürauer M. et al.Bending the curve of terrestrial biodiversity needs an integrated strategy.Nature. 2020; 585: 551-556Google Scholar,21Folberth C. Khabarov N. Balkovič J. Skalský R. Visconti P. Ciais P. Janssens I.A. Peñuelas J. Obersteiner M. The global cropland-sparing potential of high-yield farming.Nat. Sustain. 2020; 3: 281-289Google ScholarHowever, to date, no attempt has been made to resolve trade-offs between food production and implementing alternative proposals for protecting 30% of land by 2030 or to promote integrated spatial planning across all land areas, nor have these proposals been tested in terms of their contribution to improving species conservation status, one of the key targets of the CBD and of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).6Mace G.M. Barrett M. Burgess N.D. Cornell S.E. Freeman R. Grooten M. Purvis A. Aiming higher to bend the curve of biodiversity loss.Nat. Sustain. 2018; 1: 448-451Google Scholar,18Büscher B. Fletcher R. Brockington D. Sandbrook C. Adams W.M. Campbell L. Corson C. Dressler W. Duffy R. Gray N. et al.Half-Earth or whole Earth? Radical ideas for conservation, and their implications.Oryx. 2016; 51: 407-410Google Scholar,22United Nations, (U.N.) Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. United Nations, 2015Google Scholar The benefits and feasibility of setting aside 30% of land for conservation therefore remains untested, with few months remaining before parties to the CBD agree on the post-2020 GBF.23CBDFirst Draft of Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework. Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, 2020Google ScholarHere, we simulate three alternative conservation strategies to estimate how much of Earth's land surface should be managed to minimize the extinction risk of 4,323 terrestrial mammal and 8,541 bird species for which distribution ranges and habitat preferences were available (79% and 85% of known mammal and bird species, respectively) while achieving global farmland production demand.Unlike previous studies that designed or tested area-based conservation measures using representation targets,24Venter O. Fuller R.A. Segan D.B. Carwardine J. Brooks T. Butchart S.H.M. Di Marco M. Iwamura T. Joseph L. O’Grady D. et al.Targeting global protected area expansion for imperiled biodiversity.PLOS Biol. 2014; 12https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1001891Google Scholar,25Butchart S.H.M. Clarke M. Smith R.J. Sykes R.E. Scharlemann J.P.W. Harfoot M. Buchanan G.M. Angulo A. Balmford A. Bertzky B. et al.Shortfalls and solutions for meeting national and global conservation area targets.Conserv. Lett. 2015; 8: 329-337Google Scholar we define sufficiency of a network of conserved areas utilizing methodologies from extinction risk analyses,26Mogg S. Fastré C. Jung M. Visconti P. Targeted expansion of protected areas to maximise the persistence of terrestrial mammals.bioRxiv. 2019; 3056: 1-22Google Scholar,27Brooks T.M. Mittermeier R.A. Da Fonseca G.A.B. Gerlach J. Hoffmann M. Lamoreux J.F. Mittermeier C.G. Pilgrim J.D. Rodrigues A.S.L. Global biodiversity conservation priorities.Science. 2006; 313: 58-61Google Scholar thereby effectively designing a network of conservation areas that contribute to species persistence. In addition, rather than assigning areas to a simplistic binary status of “protected or not,” we zone the planet into land-use and land-cover classes, which allows us to mimic the implementation of the GBF target 1, through integrated spatial planning for food production and species conservation at the same time. In addition, this approach goes beyond the ubiquitous assumption that species conservation can be achieved only within protected areas, embracing the notion that conservation targets can be achieved through “other effective area-based conserved measures.”28Jonas H.D. Ahmadia G.N. Bingham H.C. Briggs J. Butchart S.H.M. Cariño J. Chassot O. Chaudhary S. Darling E. DeGemmis A. et al.Equitable and effective area-based conservation: towards the conserved areas paradigm.Parks. 2021; 27https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.CH.2021.PARKS-27-1HJ.enGoogle ScholarWe found that integrated land-use planning for food production and biodiversity has the potential to minimize trade-offs between these competing uses of land. If applied across all countries and ecosystems it means only 2.7% of mammal and 1.2% of bird species could be left at risk of extinction (currently there are over 26% of terrestrial mammals and 13% of terrestrial birds at risk of extinction)29IUCNIUCN Red List of Threatened Species Version 2021.2021: 2http://www.iucnredlist.orgGoogle Scholar while resulting in minimal food production shortfalls under business-as-usual (BAU) demand and supply of agricultural products: 3.6% of global pasturelands and 1.2% of global food crop production. These shortfalls could be closed with moderate changes in global food consumption and production.We must note that land-use change is only one of the threatening processes affecting species globally; for species conservation targets to be achieved in natural and restored areas, managing other threatening processes, such as climate change, direct harvesting, and invasive species, is clearly necessary.20Leclère D. Obersteiner M. Barrett M. Butchart S.H.M. Chaudhary A. De Palma A. DeClerck F.A.J. Di Marco M. Doelman J.C. Dürauer M. et al.Bending the curve of terrestrial biodiversity needs an integrated strategy.Nature. 2020; 585: 551-556Google Scholar,30Maxwell S.L. Fuller R.A. Brooks T.M. Watson J.E.M. The ravages of guns, nets and bulldozers.Nature. 2016; 536: 145-146Google Scholar As such, when we refer to conservation management throughout this paper we mean management that specifically addresses all local threats to biodiversity, including those we do not specifically model spatially.ResultsApproach summaryWe test action targets 1 and 3 of the proposed GBF in isolation and combination to derive three area-based conservation strategies (the Integrated Land Use Planning [ILUP] strategy, the 30% strategy and the 30% + ILUP strategy, Box 1). These strategies are not intended to be actionable conservation plans, but rather an assessment of the potential ecological performance and socio-economic feasibility of proposed approaches to guide area-based conservation under the new GBF. We distinguish these strategies from scenarios that are defined by global socio-economic, technological, and behavioral changes that are indirect drivers of environmental change. All strategies are applied under one global scenario, described below. Given the intrinsic uncertainties in future land-use change, we performed 50 replicate simulations of each strategy, each satisfying regional demand for agricultural products, but with different spatial configurations (see experimental procedures for details).Box 1Strategies simulated in the analysis aimed at assessing two proposals for global area-based conservation targets proposed in the post-2020 Global Biodiversity FrameworkILUP strategy: this strategy is designed to simulate how including most of the terrestrial land surface under comprehensive land-use planning (target 1 of the Global Biodiversity Framework) can achieve both species conservation and global farmland production by 2030.To simulate this strategy, we spatially allocate natural land-cover types and farmlands outside of the present protected area (PA) network to meet both species conservation and farmland production targets. Within the PA network, the present fractional land cover (according to IMAGE for the year 2015) remains unaltered until 2030.30% strategy: this strategy is designed to simulate how limiting species conservation actions to a pre-defined 30% of the world would impact both species conservation and global farmland production (target 2 of the Global Biodiversity Framework).To simulate this strategy, we spatially allocate natural land-cover types and farmlands to meet farmland production targets, under the constraint that farmland cannot be allocated within Protected areas. In this strategy, Protected areas are fully conserved or restored into their current most abundant natural land-cover type or to any of the shared land uses if they are entirely converted to farmlands already.30% + ILUP strategy: this strategy is designed to simulate the impacts of setting aside a pre-defined 30% of the world to ensure species conservation (a strict implementation of target 3 of the Global Biodiversity Framework), while including the remaining of the terrestrial land surface under comprehensive land-use planning (partial adoption of target 1 of the Global Biodiversity Framework) to achieve both species conservation and global farmland production.To simulate this strategy, we spatially allocate natural land-cover types and farmlands to meet species conservation and farmland production targets, under the constraint that farmlands cannot be allocated within Protected areas. Protected areas are fully conserved, or restored into their current most abundant natural land-cover type or to any of the shared land uses if they are entirely converted to farming activities already.In the ILUP strategy, we spatially allocate habitat conservation and restoration of natural land-cover types and farmland (croplands and pastures) outside of the current protected area (PA) network to achieve species conservation targets and farmland production targets in 2030. Within the PA network, the present amount of different land-cover and land-use types is maintained constant in 2030. We call this strategy ILUP because it integrates both targets for species conservation and food production within a single multi-objective land-use planning exercise. This strategy therefore simulates the implementation of the action target 1 of the GBF (retaining and restoring terrestrial ecosystems by having at least all land and sea areas globally are under biodiversity inclusive spatial planning).In the 30% strategy, we spatially allocate natural land-cover types and farmland to achieve farmland production targets in 2030 under the constraint that ∼30% of land, considered to be of global significance for biodiversity conservation (hereafter referred to as “protected areas,” see experimental procedures), is protected (i.e., locked out of farmland production). This strategy simulates a specific, stringent, possible implementation of the action target 3 of the draft GBF (protect and conserve at least 30% of the planet with a focus on areas particularly important for biodiversity) in the absence of action target 1. Farmland production targets are therefore met in areas residual to a pre-defined 30% of the world that is dedicated to biodiversity conservation.In the 30% + ILUP strategy, we spatially allocate natural land-cover types and farmland to achieve both species conservation and farmland production targets in 2030 under the constraint that protected areas are locked out of farmland production. This strategy therefore integrates the 30% strict protection with integrated land-use planning for biodiversity and food security outside them, thereby simulating the partial implementation of action target 1 and a stringent version of target 3 of the GBF.For all strategies, land use-land cover (LULC) allocation is subject to spatial constraints. First, farmland (croplands and pastures) are preferentially spatially allocated or relocated to areas suitable for farming activities and no further than 100 km from existing farmland. This satisfies at the same time realistic logistical constraints, as well as the aim of the post-2020 framework to retain “existing intact areas and wilderness.”23CBDFirst Draft of Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework. Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, 2020Google Scholar Second, the allocation of natural land-cover types is constrained to intact habitats (habitats to be managed for species conservation) or areas within 10 km of where intact habitats remain (habitats to be restored), thereby accounting for both ecological suitability and likelihood of natural recolonization of animal and plant species in sites to be restored.For each of the three conservation strategies, we explore the feasibility to achieve farmland production targets for pastureland and for food and biofuel crops, assuming the same projected BAU farmland production and consumption patterns to 2030.Sufficiency of conservation strategiesDue to the modest variance in all performance metrics (<1%) across the 50 replicate simulations of each strategy, we report the results of the best performing replicate for each strategy. We find that, under the BAU scenario of global food production and consumption, it is necessary to manage 61%–64% of the Earth's surface to conserve species to bring the extinction risk to the lowest category for 96% and 97% of the mammal and bird species included in the analysis, while minimizing crop and pasture production shortfalls (i.e., the deficit of production amounts necessary to meet farmland production targets, Figures 1, S1, and S2). For the remaining species, the current range is too small to ensure that sufficient area of habitat (AOH) is maintained or restored for the species to be classified in the lowest extinction risk category. These species would need to colonize, naturally or via assisted colonization, areas outside their current distribution. Across strategies, the proportion of land that should be managed for conservation is highest in North America (60%–62% of the total surface), followed by Asia (55%–56%, Figure S1D).The ILUP strategy, unconstrained by the strict protection of 30% of land, thus allowing for most flexibility in spatially allocating natural land-cover types and farmland, performed best, leaving 2.7% of mammal and 1.2% of bird species at risk of extinction and achieving the lowest food production shortfalls (3.6% of global pasturelands and 1.2% of global food crop production, Figures 1A and 2). In the ILUP strategy, 12% (5.2 million km2) and 17% (7.5 million km2) of land within protected areas are allocated to cropland and pastureland, respectively.Figure 2Species extinction risk versus agricultural shortfallsShow full captionTrade-off between percentage pasture area shortfall and mammal species at risk of extinction (A) and between the percentage of crop production shortfalls and the percentage of bird species at risk of extinction (B) for the 30%, 30% + ILUP, and ILUP strategies. The circles indicate the mean shortfalls across 50 runs. Lines within the circles indicate maximum and minimum shortfall values obtained among runs.View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download (PPT)The 30% strategy, which focuses conservation efforts only in protected areas and optimizes food production outside these areas, generates small food production shortfalls (5.8% of global pasturelands and 1.1% global food crop production) but results in 19.8% of mammals and 32.1% of birds being at high risk of extinction by 2030 (Figures 1B and 2). These figures represent the opportunity cost of relying exclusively on PAs rather than accounting conservation objectives within integrated spatial planning everywhere, as proposed by GBF Action target 1.The 30% + ILUP strategy, which as well as setting aside protected areas for conservation only, attempts to minimize trade-off between species conservation and food production outside them, gives the best biodiversity outcomes (3.9% of mammals and 3.8% of birds at risk of extinction) but is associated with the highest food production shortfalls (9.9% global needed pastureland and 4.3% global food crop production, Figures 1C and 2). These food production shortfalls represent the opportunity cost of strict protection of a biodiversity-rich ∼30% of the planet and equates to 5% of the global food availability (including meat and milk production from pastures), more than three times the impact of both ILUP and 30% strategies (<2% decrease in global food availability).To reach conservation targets across all the strategies, between 12 and 17 million km2 of land must be restored, that is, re-zoned from anthropogenic land-use classes to natural ones; this is equivalent, respectively, to 7.6% and 11.0% of the land globally, excluding Antarctica (Figure S1). This amount is almost four times the global target of restoring 3.5 million km2 by 2030 under the Bonn Challenge, but comparable to the GBF Target 2 of restoring 20% of degraded land globally.20Leclère D. Obersteiner M. Barrett M. Butchart S.H.M. Chaudhary A. De Palma A. DeClerck F.A.J. Di Marco M. Doelman J.C. Dürauer M. et al.Bending the curve of terrestrial biodiversity needs an integrated strategy.Nature. 2020; 585: 551-556Google Scholar,21Folberth C. Khabarov N. Balkovič J. Skalský R. Visconti P. Ciais P. Janssens I.A. Peñuelas J. Obersteiner M. The global cropland-sparing potential of high-yield farming.Nat. Sustain. 2020; 3: 281-289Google Scholar Habitat restoration is mostly needed in South America (14%–16% of the total land), Europe (11%–22%), and Africa (6%–10%). Although this would require an unprecedented, global habitat restoration effort, recent studies suggest it is both technically and socio-economically feasible to start ecosystem restoration at this scale, although biodiversity benefits will take decades to realize.21Folberth C. Khabarov N. Balkovič J. Skalský R. Visconti P. Ciais P. Janssens I.A. Peñuelas J. Ob