Impact Areas - Lexicon of Impacts™

Impact Areas

Farmers worldwide are deploying a variety of nature-positive solutions that generate wide-ranging benefits, all contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). By identifying shared values and a common language we can spread these practices.

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Impact Areas

Farmers worldwide are deploying a variety of nature-positive solutions that generate wide-ranging benefits, all contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). By identifying shared values and a common language we can spread these practices.

Defining our Values.

To build a sustainable future, nature-positive food systems must be guided by key shared values rooted in holistic approaches and translated into actions that balance ecosystem health with the well-being of communities. While the principles of nature-positive solutions are universal, their application through practices is place-based, varying from field to field.

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Nature-positive values can be seen as five impact areas that support a future where human prosperity and ecosystem health thrive together. In this future we support environmental health, biodiversity and climate change resilience while enhancing equity, nutrition and livelihoods.

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Enhance Nutrition, Health and Food Security

Nature-positive solutions promote agrobiodiversity for improved soil and human health. Cultivating diverse, nutrient-dense crops enhances the availability of essential vitamins and minerals, benefiting both urban and rural diets. Designing farming systems to prioritize crops rich in iron, zinc, or vitamins addresses malnutrition and specific health needs. These practices also strengthen ecosystems, support long term food security and reduce vulnerability to pests thus reducing the use of agrochemicals and associated chronic diseases.

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Selective Pesticides

Choosing pesticides that target specific pests, minimizing harm to non-target organisms and the environment.

Cultural Pest Management Practices

Employing farming techniques like crop rotation, intercropping, or altering planting times to reduce pest pressure.

Use Biological (or Non-Chemical) Pesticides

Applying natural substances or organisms like bacteria, fungi, or botanical extracts to control pests.

Reduce / Eliminate Prophylactic Spraying

Avoiding the routine or preventive use of pesticides, applying them only when necessary.

Reduce / Eliminate Chemical Pesticides

Limiting or stopping the application of synthetic pesticides to reduce environmental and health risks.

Green Leafy Vegetables

The sustainable collection or cultivation of local, nutrient-rich wild plants for food, promoting biodiversity and health.

Participation in seed fairs

Engaging in community events where farmers and gardeners exchange seeds, knowledge, and traditional agricultural practices.

Local Crop Varieties

Efforts to preserve, reintroduce, and sustainably grow traditional crop varieties that are adapted to local conditions.

Consumer Based Products

Items made from agricultural by-products or waste materials, promoting sustainable resource use and adding value to local economies.

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Improve Livelihoods and Jobs, Reducing Poverty

Nature-positive value chains focus on replenishing resources and supporting communities. They promote diverse crops, helping farmers access niche markets and reduce reliance on single commodities. By viewing value chains as closed loops, they create eco-friendly jobs, recycling waste into products like biofertilizers. This approach empowers communities, fostering self-sufficiency, resilience, and sustainable economic growth.

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Classic Biocontrol

Introducing or augmenting populations of natural predators or parasites to control pest species.

Animal Feed Production

The cultivation or manufacturing of food specifically formulated to meet the nutritional needs of livestock.

Consumer Based Products

Items made from agricultural by-products or waste materials, promoting sustainable resource use and adding value to local economies.

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Promote Gender Equality, Youth and Social Equity

Women play a key role in biodiversity stewardship. Nature-positive solutions must also benefit women and underprivileged groups. Empowerment through training in sustainable farming, entrepreneurship, and value-added processes increases income and decision-making power. Appropriate technologies like small-scale mechanization support better farming practices, fostering women and youth entrepreneurship, inclusive growth, and social equity in the agricultural economy.

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Help Mitigating and Adapting to Climate Change

Nature-positive solutions focus on nurturing agro-ecosystems that act as carbon sinks and enhance climate resilience. Efficient water use, like drip irrigation and farm ponds, prevents waste and reduces pressure on resources. Planting trees restores land, improves soil health, and boosts water retention. Monitoring soil health ensures carbon storage and increases farmers' climate adaptability.

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Habitat Conservation for Pest Control

Preserving or restoring habitats for beneficial species that naturally regulate pest populations.

Treated Wastewater for Irrigation

Using treated or reclaimed wastewater for agricultural irrigation, reducing freshwater use and recycling nutrients.

Silage Production

The fermentation of green fodder (like grass or corn) in airtight conditions to produce a high-moisture feed for livestock.

Exchange of Seeds or Seedlings of Native Trees

The act of trading or selling seeds or plants from native or locally adapted species to encourage biodiversity and local agriculture.

Selling NUS to Niche Markets

Marketing underused or traditional crops to specialized markets that value their uniqueness, nutritional, or cultural significance.

Natural Regeneration

Supporting the recovery of degraded ecosystems by allowing or enhancing the natural growth of plants, often through minimal intervention.

Producing Seed or Seedlings of Native Trees

The cultivation of seeds or young plants from indigenous tree varieties or traditional crop varieties for planting or distribution.

Indigenous Livestock Preservation

Efforts to maintain and protect breeds of livestock that are native to a specific region, conserving their genetic diversity.

Reduce Water Runoff

Constructing physical features on agricultural land to slow water flow, prevent soil erosion, and enhance water infiltration.

Water Conservation Pond

Constructed or natural ponds used to store water for agricultural purposes, enhancing resilience during dry periods.

Participatory Varietal Selection (PVS)

Collaborative process where farmers and researchers evaluate and select plant varieties suited to local conditions for cultivation.

Participatory Plant Breeding (PPB) from Native or Locally Adapted Species

Engaging farmers in the breeding of plant varieties that are adapted to specific local conditions, improving resilience and crop performance.

Indigenous Livestock Participatory Breeding (PB)

Collaborative efforts with farmers to improve and adapt breeds of livestock that are native to the area, ensuring their sustainability and health.

Organization for the Preservation of Tree Agrobiodiversity

Engaging in efforts to protect and maintain the variety of tree species within agricultural systems for ecological and economic resilience.

Diversity Parks

Engaging in or visiting areas dedicated to the preservation and cultivation of a wide range of plant or tree species, promoting genetic diversity.

Diversity Fairs for Trees

Attending events that showcase the variety of tree species, promoting biodiversity and exchange of knowledge about native or locally adapted trees.

Manure Fertilizer

Organic fertilizer produced from animal waste, used to enhance soil fertility and improve crop growth.

Intercropping / Crop Rotation Schemes

The practice of growing different crops in proximity or in succession to improve soil health, control pests, and enhance yields.

Hedgerows to Control Erosion

Planting shrubs or trees along field boundaries and natural contours to reduce soil erosion and promote water retention.

Growing Native Trees

Planting indigenous trees for ecological functions like habitat creation, soil stabilization, or carbon sequestration, beyond just harvesting products.

Growing Local Landraces of Trees

Cultivating specific local tree varieties that have adapted to the regional environment, maintaining biodiversity and cultural heritage.

Flower Strips or Hedgerows

Planting flowers or shrubs to attract pollinators and natural pest predators, enhancing ecosystem services in farming.

Cover Crops

Plants grown primarily to protect and enrich the soil rather than for harvest, often used between growing seasons.

Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment and Reuse

Engineered ecosystems that use wetland plants and soils to treat wastewater, which can then be reused for irrigation or other purposes.

Compost Production

The process of decomposing organic material such as plant residues and food waste to create nutrient-rich soil amendments.

Biochar Production

The creation of charcoal from biomass, which can improve soil fertility, retain moisture, and sequester carbon when added to soil.

Agroecology

Approach to farming that integrates ecological principles with agricultural practices, promoting biodiversity, sustainability, and resilience while minimizing environmental impacts and enhancing food security.

Zero or Minimum Tillage

Agricultural practices that minimize soil disturbance, reducing erosion, enhancing soil structure, and improving moisture retention.

Buffer Strips

Vegetated areas adjacent to waterways that filter pollutants, reduce erosion, and protect aquatic ecosystems.

Animal Feed Production

The cultivation or manufacturing of food specifically formulated to meet the nutritional needs of livestock.

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Support Environmental Health and Biodiversity

A nature-positive food system integrates wild biodiversity and agrobiodiversity, balancing ecosystems where farming and natural habitats coexist. This approach halts deforestation, minimizes land degradation, and promotes sustainable use of forests for income. Robust seed systems (including tree seed systems for native species) enhance genetic diversity and crop resilience, encouraging farmers to choose biodiversity over monocropping, protecting the environment, and supporting sustainable livelihoods.

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Habitat Conservation for Pest Control

Preserving or restoring habitats for beneficial species that naturally regulate pest populations.

Treated Wastewater for Irrigation

Using treated or reclaimed wastewater for agricultural irrigation, reducing freshwater use and recycling nutrients.

Silage Production

The fermentation of green fodder (like grass or corn) in airtight conditions to produce a high-moisture feed for livestock.

Exchange of Seeds or Seedlings of Native Trees

The act of trading or selling seeds or plants from native or locally adapted species to encourage biodiversity and local agriculture.

Selling NUS to Niche Markets

Marketing underused or traditional crops to specialized markets that value their uniqueness, nutritional, or cultural significance.

Natural Regeneration

Supporting the recovery of degraded ecosystems by allowing or enhancing the natural growth of plants, often through minimal intervention.

Producing Seed or Seedlings of Native Trees

The cultivation of seeds or young plants from indigenous tree varieties or traditional crop varieties for planting or distribution.

Indigenous Livestock Preservation

Efforts to maintain and protect breeds of livestock that are native to a specific region, conserving their genetic diversity.

Reduce Water Runoff

Constructing physical features on agricultural land to slow water flow, prevent soil erosion, and enhance water infiltration.

Water Conservation Pond

Constructed or natural ponds used to store water for agricultural purposes, enhancing resilience during dry periods.

Participatory Varietal Selection (PVS)

Collaborative process where farmers and researchers evaluate and select plant varieties suited to local conditions for cultivation.

Participatory Plant Breeding (PPB) from Native or Locally Adapted Species

Engaging farmers in the breeding of plant varieties that are adapted to specific local conditions, improving resilience and crop performance.

Indigenous Livestock Participatory Breeding (PB)

Collaborative efforts with farmers to improve and adapt breeds of livestock that are native to the area, ensuring their sustainability and health.

Organization for the Preservation of Tree Agrobiodiversity

Engaging in efforts to protect and maintain the variety of tree species within agricultural systems for ecological and economic resilience.

Diversity Parks

Engaging in or visiting areas dedicated to the preservation and cultivation of a wide range of plant or tree species, promoting genetic diversity.

Diversity Fairs for Trees

Attending events that showcase the variety of tree species, promoting biodiversity and exchange of knowledge about native or locally adapted trees.

Manure Fertilizer

Organic fertilizer produced from animal waste, used to enhance soil fertility and improve crop growth.

Intercropping / Crop Rotation Schemes

The practice of growing different crops in proximity or in succession to improve soil health, control pests, and enhance yields.

Hedgerows to Control Erosion

Planting shrubs or trees along field boundaries and natural contours to reduce soil erosion and promote water retention.

Growing Native Trees

Planting indigenous trees for ecological functions like habitat creation, soil stabilization, or carbon sequestration, beyond just harvesting products.

Growing Local Landraces of Trees

Cultivating specific local tree varieties that have adapted to the regional environment, maintaining biodiversity and cultural heritage.

Flower Strips or Hedgerows

Planting flowers or shrubs to attract pollinators and natural pest predators, enhancing ecosystem services in farming.

Cover Crops

Plants grown primarily to protect and enrich the soil rather than for harvest, often used between growing seasons.

Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment and Reuse

Engineered ecosystems that use wetland plants and soils to treat wastewater, which can then be reused for irrigation or other purposes.

Compost Production

The process of decomposing organic material such as plant residues and food waste to create nutrient-rich soil amendments.

Biochar Production

The creation of charcoal from biomass, which can improve soil fertility, retain moisture, and sequester carbon when added to soil.

Agroecology

Approach to farming that integrates ecological principles with agricultural practices, promoting biodiversity, sustainability, and resilience while minimizing environmental impacts and enhancing food security.

Zero or Minimum Tillage

Agricultural practices that minimize soil disturbance, reducing erosion, enhancing soil structure, and improving moisture retention.

Buffer Strips

Vegetated areas adjacent to waterways that filter pollutants, reduce erosion, and protect aquatic ecosystems.

Classic Biocontrol

Introducing or augmenting populations of natural predators or parasites to control pest species.

Selective Pesticides

Choosing pesticides that target specific pests, minimizing harm to non-target organisms and the environment.

Cultural Pest Management Practices

Employing farming techniques like crop rotation, intercropping, or altering planting times to reduce pest pressure.

Use Biological (or Non-Chemical) Pesticides

Applying natural substances or organisms like bacteria, fungi, or botanical extracts to control pests.

Reduce / Eliminate Prophylactic Spraying

Avoiding the routine or preventive use of pesticides, applying them only when necessary.

Reduce / Eliminate Chemical Pesticides

Limiting or stopping the application of synthetic pesticides to reduce environmental and health risks.

Green Leafy Vegetables

The sustainable collection or cultivation of local, nutrient-rich wild plants for food, promoting biodiversity and health.

Participation in seed fairs

Engaging in community events where farmers and gardeners exchange seeds, knowledge, and traditional agricultural practices.

Local Crop Varieties

Efforts to preserve, reintroduce, and sustainably grow traditional crop varieties that are adapted to local conditions.

About

The Nature-Positive Solutions platform is produced by The Lexicon with support from CGIAR, the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, IWMI, IFPRI and CIP. Nature-Positive Solutions balance the needs of people and the planet, ensuring long-term ecological benefits, food security and livelihoods.

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