Codesigning synergies among ecological, social, and economic benefits with landscape-scale agri-environmental schemes

Global farmland biodiversity is declining rapidly, threatening both natural ecosystems and agricultural production. Although agri-environmental schemes incentivize farmers to adopt environmentally friendly measures, the spatial mismatch between their local implementation and the landscape-scale habitat requirements of farmland species has been criticized. Landscape-scale agri-environmental schemes (LAESs) are a promising approach for promoting biodiversity effectively through collaboration among multiple farmers. The success of such collaboration for biodiversity conservation relies substantially on well-functioning social networks and economic profitability for participating farmers. For an LAES to be an effective tool, it is crucial to capitalize on potential synergies among social, ecological, and economic benefits arising from collaborative implementation of LAESs and to promote positive feedback loops. We identified six potential synergies originating from the combined benefits of LAESs based on participatory workshops, expert discussions, and scientific evidence, focusing on intensive agricultural systems in Western Europe. Governance structures, such as a coordinating institution, bottom-up approaches, and adaptations to policy frameworks, can promote synergies and help overcome current challenges and trade-offs. The identified synergies and governance structures will be crucial for shaping future European agricultural policies that promote sustainable farmland biodiversity conservation and may serve as a model for transferring LAESs to other global regions.