Agriculture plays major roles in two striking issues: the environmental footprint and food security. Modern industrialized agriculture is greatly responsible for a range of already irreversible biodiversity loss through the conversion of natural habitats into productive fields, of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution and, of the release of huge amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere (directly through mechanization and livestock production and indirectly by the synthesis of artificial fertilizers) (Rockstrom et al, 2009; Tilman et al, 2002). Agroecological innovations have been long locked out by a technological regime shaping agriculture (e.g. genetic engineering) (Vanloqueren, 2009).

But, as this kind of agriculture helped to the development of humankind thanks to leaps such as the Green Revolution or improved biotechnology, the 21st century will be challenged by food security problems. Agriculture has to provide food, fibre and energy for a rapidly growing population and the actual production won’t be sufficient in the future (FAO, 2011). The Food and Agriculture Organization predicted that, to satisfy the needs of 9.2 billion people by 2050, overall food production would have to increase by about 70 percent. To achieve this goal while respecting the planet, agriculture must adopt more efficient and sustainable production methods.

The application of biomimicry to agriculture is a feasible solution providing this efficient and sustainable approach, and some research is already being conducted. This relates to efficient water use, decreasing the need of pesticide use and subsequent groundwater pollution and nutrient cycling.

A good example is provided by Wes Jackson (Jackson 1996), from the Land Institute, who used prairies for a model of agriculture centred on edible, perennial polycultures. Indeed, these ecosystems are highly efficient in conserving the soil, resisting pests and weeds, and stimulating their own fertility (Benyus, 2011; Jackson, 1996; the Land Institute). In our annual monocultures, the soil has to be tilled and ploughed every year, which leads to erosion. Then we add tons of chemical fertilizers to make up for the poorer soils, and pesticides to protect the crop. By applying the processes of a prairie to an agricultural field, we can create an 'edible prairie',  without the need of ploughing and with nitrogen fixing plants taking care of the fertile soils. The mix of species would provide natural pest control.

Another example is the closed-loop coffee plantation. This is inspired by (tropical) ecosystems where nutrients are carefully used and circulated. Where before 99% of the biomass of the coffee plant was produced as waste, the waste is now used as a substrate to grow shiitake mushrooms on (The Biomimicry Institute).