Biodiversity - Rodale Institute

Biodiversity—the variation of life on Earth—is essential to healthy ecosystems and serves as nature’s own system of checks and balances.

Through the use of toxic pesticides and herbicides and reliance on monocultures, conventional farming eliminates biodiversity.

The Importance of Biodiversity

These methods don’t just kill native species and harm local ecosystems—they make conventional farms extremely vulnerable to new pests and diseases that may emerge as a consequence of global warming. All it takes is one strong threat to wipe out an entire planting of a single crop if no other species or system is present to curb the damage.

Regenerative organic farming, by contrast, encourages biodiversity. A rich mix of microorganisms, plants, and animals on the farm creates healthy soil, strong crops, and resilient natural systems that don’t require chemical intervention to manage pests and diseases.

Organic Farm Methods

Organic farmers rotate many crops through the same field, providing a variety of root structures and organic matter to structure and feed the soil.

Cover cropping works in the same way, adding variety to a crop rotation and nutrients to soil.

Organic farmers encourage the presence of natural predators like birds and bats that consume pests, supporting natural ecosystems.

Practices like composting encourage diversity of microorganisms in the soil.

Reduced tillage and organic no-till encourage life in the soil.

Integrating livestock into crop production further adds variety above and below ground.

Bats: An Organic Farmer's Friend

Learn how bats can be utilized for pest management on the farm.

Watch Now