Just Accepted

This article has been peer reviewed and accepted for publication. It is in production and has not been edited, so may differ from the final published form.

Recognizing diversity in wetlands and farming systems to support sustainable agriculture and conserve wetlands

Anne van Dam , Hugh Robertson, Roland Prieler , Asmita Dubey, Colin Finlayson

Abstract

Context: Agriculture is a main driver of decline in wetlands, but in addressing its impact the diversity in agricultural systems and their catchment interactions must be recognized. Aims: In this paper we review the impacts of food production systems on wetlands to seek a better understanding of agriculture-wetland interactions and identify options for increasing sustainability. Methods: Eight farming system types were defined based on natural resource use and farming intensity, and their impact on different wetland types assessed through their direct drivers of change. Indirect drivers (such as decision-making in food systems, markets, and governance) were also summarized. Key results: Findings show that most inland wetlands are influenced by farming directly, through changes in water and nutrient supply and use of pesticides, or indirectly through catchment water, sediment and nutrient pathways. Coastal wetlands are mostly influenced indirectly. Conclusions: More sustainable food production can be achieved through continued protection of wetlands, improving efficiency in agricultural resource use generally, but also through more integration within production systems (e.g. crop-livestock-fish integration) or with wetlands (integrated wetland-agriculture). Implications: More support for small-scale producers will be needed to ensure a transformation towards balancing the provisioning, regulating and cultural ecosystem services of wetland agroecosystems within catchments.

MF24017  Accepted 30 January 2025

© CSIRO 2025