Blind spots of modelling biodiversity loss in food systems

Global biodiversity is in crisis, with food systems identified as a major driver of its decline. Various modeling approaches are currently used to provide a critical step guiding policy making. In this paper, we reviewed ten global models assessing food systems, including seven global biodiversity models (GBMs) and three life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) models to map their capacities to capture the diverse effects on biodiversity both within and beyond agricultural fields. LCIA models more comprehensively focused on pollution and climate change, while GBMs captured spatial impacts like fragmentation better with a more diverse range of indicators such as compositional intactness, species richness, extinction, and habitat suitability. Gaps found in both GBMs and LCIAs highlight the need for complementary aspects to be included in current models to more holistically assess biodiversity in food systems.Combining GBMs and LCIAs could address their individual limitations and integrate consumption with shifting spatial dynamics.