Disease outbreaks linked to degraded ecosystems: A problem ALL of us are driving and ALL of us need to solve

Kenya’s wildlife-rich rangelands with cattle and wildlife (photo credit: ILRI/Dave Elsworth).

‘While the world’s attention is focused on controlling COVID-19, evidence points at the biodiversity crisis as a leading factor in its emergence. At first glance, the two issues might seem unrelated, but disease outbreaks and degraded ecosystems are deeply connected.

‘Frédéric Baudron, systems agronomist at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), and Florian Liégeois, virologist at the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), share their insights on the current COVID-19 crisis and the link between biodiversity loss and emerging infectious diseases. . . .’