Science Solutions: Frontiers Planet Prize: International Champions: Dr Zia Mehrabi (University of Colorado, Boulder)
Monkey Rock: A Species Corner for Nature at Climate Hub Davos is a temporary public art installation presented during World Economic Forum week in Davos.
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Dr Zia Mehrabi discusses the impact of the research, the international champion prize and what is needed from the World Economic Forum community to accelerate the impact of this work.
What we produced was novel: the first-ever cross-continental, multi-farming system, and culturally contextual evidence from real food systems that diversifying agricultural systems helps move agriculture towards where we want it to be. We found that the benefits of diversification differed depending on the practices and farming systems they were tied to. But saliently, we found that across systems, a general rule emerged: the more diversification done at a farm, the better. And even more promisingly: this was especially true when it came to improving food security and biodiversity at the same time, two outcomes that have previously been juxtaposed in policy, and that need the world’s urgent attention, today, more than ever before.
Critically, our study was not theoretical or abstract, nor was it run on field stations or in laboratories. It was conducted with farmers on real-world operating farms. The main effects we identified held up to a range of different ways to do the analysis. We even came up with a list and typology of on-farm interventions, all clearly defined, for practical implementation and support by governments, NGOs, research for development organizations, and civil society groups. Importantly, the significance of these interventions is already recognized as a possible pathway towards change and was a key focus of the UN Food Systems Summit. Our work provides robust evidence that investment in these areas will yield the desirable outcomes, bolstering ongoing initiatives by governments and the private sector to support these transformative actions.
Our research demonstrates that diversification represents a significant, tangible, and policy-relevant step towards achieving more sustainable food systems globally: one not just grounded in theory or anecdotes, but supported by rich data, covering a vast range of farming systems across the world.
A More Diverse Agriculture for the Future of Our Planet — Frontiers Planet Prize
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The installation was conceived by Joep van Lieshout and Prof. Gail Whiteman.
Climate Basecamp, Atelier Van Lieshout and Cats Do Climate are thankful to Minderoo Foundation, GreenUp, Climate Hub Davos, Arctic Basecamp, and the Nature and Climate Impact Team at the University of Exeter for their support, contributions and tireless work to bring the Monkey to Davos. Thank you.
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