Unsustainable food production is one of the biggest threats to conservation today. Agricultural practices in food production systems such as reliance on monoculture, exotic/cross breeds, high yielding varieties, mechanization, and misuse of agricultural chemicals coupled with over extraction of ground water have caused negative impacts on natural resources at all levels.

Food production alone is responsible for about a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions and remains a major driver of climate change as it utilizes 70 per cent of blue water, contributes towards biodiversity loss, landscape degradation and nutrient pollution.

The problems are clear. We all need to eat, but the way we produce and consume food is putting an impossible strain on the planet. With the world’s population set to grow from 7 billion today to more than 9 billion by 2050 it's clear the food system needs to change – urgently.

Transforming agriculture from a threat to an opportunity for nature conservation involves adoption of sustainable agricultural practices through management of natural resources while ensuring that food requirements are fulfilled, environmental quality maintained and natural resources conserved for future generations.