What is food security?

Food that is accessible to all, safe and locally appropriate, and reliable through time and across space. 

Addressing food security with NbS

There are many conventional solutions that can address food security, such as improving access to food and improving incentives for local food production. However, food security is best addressed by combining conventional solutions with NbS that make better use of existing ecosystems, such as wetland restoration, agroforestry, and other NbS commonly used in cultural landscapes. NbS should be multi-faceted and use a holistic view to adapt food production to environmental and climate change, as well as keep in mind local issues that lead to reduced food security. 

There are many ways to address food security issues, for example: 

  • Protecting or restoring ecosystems that can deliver ecosystem services that help ensure food security in case of natural disasters, political instability, or because of climate change. 

  • Protecting wild genetic resources 

  • Protecting food crops from pests and diseases 

  • Managing wild species 

  • Managing water used for irrigation of crops 

  • Addressing land tenure issues that can lead to food insecurity 

To ensure that the NbS is meeting its goals for food security, it is also essential to have monitoring in place. 

NbS with a focus on food security

We encourage users of this handbook to fully realize the potential within the specific context of the ecosystem and to set clear targets that can be followed over time. 

  • Flower strips/buffer zones: Buffer zones and flower strips are types of vegetation structure planted to serve a specific purpose. This can be, for example, to protect a water course by taking up excess phosphor from field run-off, provide floral resources to insects, provide food and shelter to animals, or protect against soil erosion. 

  • Maintaining grasslands and meadows: Maintaining and creating grasslands and meadows is an important conservation measure for semi-natural and natural ecosystems in the cultural landscape

  • Crop rotation and Intercropping: Crop rotation is the change of crops between harvests. This can be from one year to another or, depending on climate and crop type, several times over a season. Intercropping refers to when two of more crops are grown at the same time on the same piece of land. 

  • No tillage: No, or reduced, tillage refers to the practice of sowing or planting the new crop, after harvest, without first tilling the soil. 

  • Perennial crops: Perennial crops are crops that are not tilled after harvest but planted and then harvested year after year without replanting the crop. Most used examples are fruit trees and berry bushes. Perennial cereal crops have not yet been fully developed. 

  • Mulching: Mulching is a collection of NbS that focuses on covering the soil and adding nutrients and organic matter to it. This can be compost, chopped plant material, or even living mulch in form of intercropping plants that grow under the main crop.

Are you unsure how to choose an NbS that addresses food security? See our general guidance on Nature-based solutions!