The role of area-based conservation measures in reducing impact from agriculture, conserving biodiversity, and supporting local communities’ livelihood

Pressures on natural landscapes due to soybean and cattle ranching have been increasing in Brazil over the last decades. This is largely driven by exports, including to the European Union, making these commodities some of the most important threats to biodiversity and non-timber forest products. Some of these products can be used for medicinal and food security purposes by local communities, and often are managed either by women or men differently. Area-based conservation measures are an important global conservation strategy and include the newly defined “other effective area-based conservation measures” (OECMs). OECMs can play a larger role in nature conservation in areas managed by local communities, yet it remains unclear to what extent they are contributing to conservation. This project will evaluate the impact of soybean and cattle expansion in Brazil on biological and cultural diversity and gender, and the contribution of OECMs on their conservation. Specifically, I will (i) identify species used by local communities and assess their conservation status as well as potential gender-differences in their uses; (ii) analyze the impact of soybean and cattle ranching expansion on biocultural diversity and the potential gender-biased consequences; and (iii) evaluate the contribution of different OECM-types to the conservation of cultural and biological diversity. To do that, this action will combine methods and techniques across disciplines (literature review on the relationship between species and gender) and geoprocessing and statistical analysis (land-use change and matching analysis). Expected results include three scientific publications and outreach activities to amplify societal awareness about the impact of agriculture on culture and nature and provide evidence of how OECMs can support both biodiversity and the livelihood of women and men, being considered as a promising conservation tool in the next decade.