Will agriculture be the end of birds?

Will agriculture be the end of birds?

Birds are the largest group of terrestrial vertebrates, and as such, they are of great importance for the functioning of most ecosystems: pollination and seed dispersal, pest control, or mobilisation of nutrient cycles are just some of the services they provide to our environment.

For years we have been able to observe how the bird population has been declining drastically. In fact, this decline is more than worrying. We are talking about a total decline of 25% of the bird population. In total, there are about 800 million fewer birds than 40 years ago. The number of urban birds has declined by an average of 28%, forest birds by 18%, but the biggest drop has been experienced by species associated with agricultural environments, reaching 60%.

If we look at the data on how European birds are declining at an alarming rate, we see that much of this decline is associated with agricultural environments – “farmland birds” – such as the partridge, the lark or the swallow. 

But why is this happening?

Beyond climate change and rising temperatures, the answer seems to lie in how we produce our food. The declining numbers of birds – as well as other species – are evidence of the environmental crisis facing agriculture today and, by extension, our model of food consumption.

For these reasons, the factor exerting the greatest pressure on the bird population is none other than intensive agriculture itself. This is agriculture that focuses on maximising the productivity of arable land through the intensive use of inputs such as pesticides, fertilisers, machinery and technology, with the aim of obtaining high yields per unit area. This type of agriculture focuses on mass production using monocultures, i.e. the cultivation of a single species on large tracts of land,  regular application of chemical fertilisers to nourish the plants, and extensive use of agricultural machinery to maximise efficiency in the processes of planting, harvesting and crop management. Indeed, it is important to understand the effect of these practices in order to understand the relationship between the decline of the fieldfowl population and this type of agriculture.

The main factor driving the decline of the bird population is the uncontrolled use of pesticides and fertilisers. The heavy use of pesticides wipes out the invertebrate population in crops. This disappearance of insects and other invertebrates causes a trophic cascade up the food chain. Invertebrates represent an important part of the diet of many birds.

In order to generate large monoculture plantations, it is necessary to transform the environment. Trees and shrubs disappear to make way for cereal species that cannot provide shelter and suitable habitat for birds. Often, even if it is a tree crop, the care of the crop, the machinery used and the method of harvesting make it impossible for birds to establish themselves there naturally.

The emission of 13% of greenhouse gases comes from agricultural soils, which rises to almost 30% if we count emissions from the agri-food sector as a whole. Climate change, and the associated rise in temperature, is another key factor explaining the loss of bird populations across the European region.

If we focus on those field species that require water bodies in their habitat, we can see that agricultural activity has not greatly improved these natural environments. It is a fact that the illegal extraction and overexploitation of aquifers for agricultural use makes the whole ecosystem extremely less resilient. A particularly worrying case is that of the Doñana National Park and Natural Park in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, where the constant policies of irrigation expansion are jeopardising the survival of the natural park and the very large number of animals, especially birds, that depend on it.

There are, however, also farmers that make a conscious effort to contribute to the maintenance of biodiversity. Our olive oil producers, to name one initiative, have pledged not to engage in the practice of harvesting their olives at night so as not to harm the birds resting in their trees. 

A farm beloved by birds – Riet Vell 

A perfect example for the conciliation of agricultural activities with nature is Riet Vell,- one of our rice projects in Spain’s Catalonia region  – that has dedicated 10 hectares of its land to create natural bird habitats. A  part of the farm has since become a space of biodiversity, filled with different species. It has become one of the most visited sites in the Ebro Delta for bird lovers.

As a member of  SEO/BirdLife, the Spanish Association for Bird and Nature Conservation, our rice farmer Juan Carlos Cicera from Riet Vell has a good understanding of the situation. To him, the word “agriculture” encompasses a lot of different types of management, cultivation and activities. He argues that many agricultural activities are fundamental to sustaining many bird species.

“Depending on how you interpret it, to say that agriculture is the main problem our birds have is not necessarily accurate. In the current agricultural model, especially conventional agriculture, which seeks very high yields and uses many agrochemicals – yes. But there is also a form of agriculture – the one that we are committed to – which is ecological agriculture -that can be integrated into the territory, like in our case. This type of agriculture complements the ecosystem, which not only does not harm but can actually benefit birds and biodiversity.”

For Juan Carlos, farmers can provide a viable contribution to fight the problem of declining bird populations: “What benefits the maintenance of birds in our fields is to create small corners or spaces within crops for another type of ecosystem or habitat for wild plants to grow, perhaps in less productive plots. But of course, that clashes a bit with society’s drive for productivity – you get paid per kilo of wheat, not per kilo of biodiversity.” 

That brings us to the conclusion:

It is important to support and demand the implementation of agricultural policies that effectively incorporate biodiversity and environmental conservation objectives, or even payments for ecosystem services. Agricultural policies account for 40% of the EU budget, and the good use of this budget can make a difference not only for saving European birds, but also for the rest of Europe’s biodiversity. 

The latter we should not forget about, as Juan Carlos admonishes: “We know about birds because they are one of  the best studied animal groups. The problem is that this probably means that at the level of insects, mammals and amphibians the situation is similar or even worse in some cases. Insects are much less studied than birds. There have been monitoring programmes and population studies on birds for many years, so it is easier to assess trends, growth and study them but of what is happening with species, such as insects, arachnids or invertebrates very little is known…”

As a consumer, a first step is to go for organic farming, known for reducing the use of pesticides and fertilisers, the main factors that put pressure on the bird population. Even more important would be to opt for sustainable farming and consumption patterns that take into account the protection of nature. By supporting them, we can increase the profitability of these biodiversity-friendly production models and farming practices so that they become more accessible to everyone. These include regenerative agriculture and agroforestry. Both involve a range of land management aimed at conserving and enhancing biodiversity in the agricultural environment. For example, by using shrubs and trees integrated into the crops we maintain the habitat for birds. Also, the use of intercropping, integrated pest management or reduced tillage can help to maintain the presence of invertebrates that are beneficial to the soil and a source of food for birds.