European and world agriculture is at a critical juncture. According to the FAO, about 33% of the world’s soils are degraded, with intensive agriculture (maximising agricultural production on a given area of land with excessive use of inputs, intensive tillage and monocultures) being one of the main drivers. Biodiversity loss in agricultural ecosystems is directly linked to the degradation and loss of functions of agricultural soils. The future of agriculture depends on how effectively this challenge can be addressed. Not only is it necessary to produce food for the world’s population, but also to ensure the economic profitability of farmers while protecting agricultural ecosystems.

Since the mid-20th century, a substantial increase in pressure on agricultural ecosystems has been observed. According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), the biodiversity of agricultural ecosystems is being put under serious threat, with an estimated 81% of the EU’s agricultural habitats being in poor condition. Agricultural intensification, landscape fragmentation and soil depletion are compromising biodiversity conservation in these ecosystems.

To conserve and enhance biodiversity in agricultural ecosystems, the European Union (EU) has created a regulatory framework for biodiversity conservation that brings together several policies that promote the environmental sustainability of agricultural landscapes. These are as follows:

- The European Green Deal aims to conserve and restore agricultural landscapes and ecosystems as well as to promote incentives to prevent biodiversity loss.

- The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) aims to encourage farmers to develop more sustainable models for natural resource management including the preservation of soil and biodiversity.

- The EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 has set targets for the conservation and legal protection of at least 30% of the EU’s land and sea area.

- The Farm to Fork strategy promotes a transition towards sustainability of agricultural ecosystems and to make them more resilient to crises.

To meet these policy challenges and objectives, it is necessary to provide solutions and tools that are capable of meeting the needs of European agriculture. In this context, Conservation Agriculture (CA) is presented as one of the key systems to restore and conserve agricultural landscapes and provide habitats to preserve and enhance biodiversity on European farms.