Exploring ‘sufficiency’: an overlooked strategy for protecting biodiversity?

Exploring ‘sufficiency’: A study from the Technical University Berlin suggests ‘sufficiency’ should be a more prominent strategy for protecting biodiversity.

Published in the open-access journal Nature Conservation, the paper analyses the intersection between biodiversity conservation and sufficiency strategies aimed at reducing consumption and resource use.

Study author Marianne Hachtmann notes that despite the established connection between excessive resource use by humans and biodiversity loss, there is limited explicit focus on how sufficiency strategies can support biodiversity preservation.

Reviewing literature from 2017 to 2021 and publications by nature conservation associations, the research identifies a notable gap in discussions linking sufficiency directly with biodiversity outcomes. Possible reasons for this may be the term’s political implications, lack of descriptiveness, as well as the use of other terms.

Furthermore, the lack of connection between sufficiency and biodiversity could be because they belong to different 'scientific spheres'. Linking the two terms thus requires a reflective, interdisciplinary perspective.

The study proposes a detailed sufficiency typology to foster a systematic approach towards integrating the term in biodiversity conservation efforts.

“The sufficiency typology developed here allows for a systematic integration of sufficiency into biodiversity conservation and thus a joint consideration of social and nature conservation concerns,” says Marianne Hachtmann, Technical University Berlin.

Policymakers, conservationists, and researchers are urged to prioritise sufficiency for the broader strategy for biodiversity conservation and sustainable living. The paper calls for further investigation into how adopting sufficiency strategies can be a crucial element in conserving biodiversity and ensuring a sustainable future. AlphaGalileo/SP