When you think of farming, you might picture green pastures, grazing animals, or rows of crops. But behind every healthy farm is something even more essential: biodiversity. The variety of life in our soil, air, and water doesn’t just support the environment. It also helps us grow food in a smarter, more sustainable way. At Atkins Ranch, we believe nature plays a key role in everything we do. Here’s how biodiversity helps us care for the land, our animals, and the future.

What is Biodiversity?

Biodiversity is the variety of all living things on Earth. This includes differences within the same species, between different species, and across ecosystems. It’s why we have things like wildflowers, honeybees, wetlands, and forests. In fact, over 75% of global food crops rely on pollinators, and more than half of modern medicines are derived from natural compounds found in plants, animals, or fungi. Biodiversity also includes the unique traits and genetic differences that make each species special.

How Biodiversity Supports Farming

Farmers depend on nature’s diversity to grow food and raise animals. From nutrient-rich soil and crop-pollinating bees to natural pest control and healthy water systems, biodiversity does a lot of heavy lifting. Healthy, diverse ecosystems help farms grow more food, use fewer chemicals, and better handle changes in the climate. Without biodiversity, it’s harder to grow enough food, and farming becomes less stable and harder to maintain.

Farming in Harmony with Nature

At Atkins Ranch, we believe that healthy land makes healthy lamb. Our farms in New Zealand thrive thanks to the incredible biodiversity of our environment. From native grasses that enrich the soil to birds and insects that keep ecosystems in balance, we depend on nature to support our regenerative farming practices. By preserving biodiversity and working with natural systems, we create food that’s not only delicious, but good for the planet too.

The Bigger Picture

Biodiversity is important for a healthy planet. It helps provide enough food and clean water, supports the economy, protects public health, and connects us to our culture and traditions. Biodiversity is not just about saving rare animals and plants. It is about caring for the natural systems that support all life.

At Atkins Ranch, we are proud to care for the land in a way that supports nature. We believe better farming begins with respecting the world around us.