Reconciling Food Systems Sustainability and Biodiversity Conservation in Multifunctional Protected Areas

Europe´s rural landscapes are trapped on an unsustainable path, marked by unfair social and ecological dynamics with negative impacts on biodiversity and human well-being.

On the one hand, we need a transformative shift in European food systems towards more sustainable and localized models dominated by agroecological practices, fair value chains and responsible consumption.

On the other hand, we need inclusive conservation paradigms to halt biodiversity loss in a context where conventional conservation strategies are failing to preserve biodiversity while distancing society from nature.

At emBrace we advocate for multifunctional protected areas using nature-based solutions (NBS) co-designed to reconcile biodiversity protection and sustainable food systems.

We propose that such NBS aimed at reinforcing human-nature interconnectedness and built upon principles of environmental justice and inclusivity can inspire landscape stewardship actions that enhance co-benefits for biodiversity conservation and food system sustainability.

Through systematic data collection across emBrace’s four case studies, grounded on social learning and knowledge co-production, visioning and action-oriented research, cross-cultural learning and knowledge synthesis exercises, emBrace is poised to fill these crucial knowledge gaps.