Understanding Agrobiodiversity: Definition, Origins and Key Components

Every grain of rice, every breed of cattle, and every soil microorganism in a farmer’s field is part of a vast web of living diversity that keeps our food systems running. This diversity – known as agrobiodiversity – is the biological backbone of agriculture, shaped by nature and generations of human ingenuity. Yet, despite its critical importance, agrobiodiversity is declining at an alarming rate. Understanding what it is, where it comes from, and what it comprises is the first step toward protecting it.

What is agrobiodiversity? 🔗

Agrobiodiversity is a shortened form of agricultural biodiversity. It refers to the variety and variability of all living organisms that are relevant to food and agricultural production. This includes everything from the crops we harvest and the livestock we raise, to the invisible soil microbes and pollinating insects that keep agroecosystems functioning.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), agrobiodiversity covers the diversity of animals, plants, and micro-organisms used directly or indirectly for food and agriculture – including crops, livestock, forestry, and fisheries. It also extends to the genetic resources within species (varieties and breeds) and the non-harvested species that support agricultural production, such as soil micro-organisms, predators, and pollinators.

The term was formally recognized in international policy through Decision V/5 at the fifth Conference of the Parties (COP 5) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). This decision established a multi-year programme of work on agricultural biological diversity, placing it firmly on the global policy agenda. It also recognized the vital contributions of farmers, indigenous peoples, and local communities to conserving and sustainably using this diversity.

Agricultural biodiversity as a subset of general biodiversity 🔗

Biodiversity, in the broadest sense, encompasses all living variation on Earth – from genetic differences within a single species to the variety of entire ecosystems. Agrobiodiversity is a vital subset of this broader biodiversity, focusing specifically on the biological resources that are important for food and agriculture.

While the term “agrobiodiversity” is relatively new – most references to it date from the late 1990s onward – the concept itself is ancient. The diversity we see in our food crops and animal breeds today did not appear overnight. It is the product of thousands of years of natural selection combined with deliberate human intervention. Farmers, livestock breeders, herders, and fisherfolk across cultures and continents have carefully selected, nurtured, and adapted plants and animals over roughly 10,000 to 20,000 years since the dawn of agriculture.

Different organizations use slightly different terminology for this concept. The CGIAR system typically uses “agricultural biodiversity” or “agrobiodiversity,” the FAO prefers “biodiversity for food and agriculture,” and the CBD uses “agricultural diversity.” Despite these variations, the underlying idea remains the same: the biological foundation upon which all food production depends.

Key components of agrobiodiversity 🔗

Agrobiodiversity operates across three interconnected levels: genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity. Each level plays a distinct role in keeping agricultural systems productive and resilient.

Genetic diversity 🔗

This is the variation that exists within a single species. Think of the thousands of rice varieties grown across Asia, or the many breeds of cattle found around the world. Genetic diversity within crops and livestock gives farmers options – varieties that tolerate drought, resist pests, or offer better nutrition. According to the Dictionary of Agroecology, genetic agrobiodiversity includes all plant varieties and animal breeds created by humans since the Neolithic era, along with their wild relatives that serve as important reservoirs for genetic improvement.

Species diversity 🔗

This refers to the range of different species present in and around agricultural landscapes. It includes cultivated crops and domesticated animals, but also the wild species that interact with farming systems – from beneficial insects and birds to wild edible plants. Historically, at least 6,000 plant species have been cultivated as human food, along with numerous animal species. However, this number is declining, raising concerns about the long-term diversity of our diets.

Ecosystem diversity 🔗

This encompasses the variety of agroecosystems themselves – pastures, crop fields, orchards, fish ponds, hedgerows, and more. The spatial arrangement, temporal patterns, and management practices across these systems all contribute to the broader ecological health of agricultural landscapes.

Planned biodiversity vs. associated biodiversity 🔗

One of the most useful ways to understand the components of agrobiodiversity is to distinguish between planned biodiversity and associated biodiversity.

Planned biodiversity 🔗

This is the biodiversity that farmers intentionally introduce and manage. It includes the crops they plant, the livestock they raise, the fish they farm, and the trees they cultivate. Farmers choose specific varieties and breeds based on local conditions, market demands, and cultural preferences. This deliberate management is what makes agrobiodiversity fundamentally different from wild biodiversity – it depends on active human involvement to survive and thrive.

Associated biodiversity 🔗

This includes the wide range of organisms that are not deliberately planted or raised but that play essential roles in supporting agricultural production. The FAO describes this as species that sustain functions and processes in and around production systems – including soil micro-biota, pollinators like bees and butterflies, earthworms, and other beneficial insects.

Research shows these associated organisms are far from optional extras. Diverse agroecosystems can see up to 50 percent fewer pests and significantly more pollinator activity compared to monocultures. Soil organisms decompose organic matter, cycle nutrients, and maintain soil structure. Predatory insects keep pest populations in check. Without this associated biodiversity, the planned biodiversity – our crops and livestock – would struggle to survive.

The role of human activity in shaping agrobiodiversity 🔗

Unlike most forms of biodiversity, agrobiodiversity cannot be separated from human activity. It exists precisely because people created and continue to manage it. The FAO states that agrobiodiversity arises from the interaction between the environment, genetic resources, and management systems used by culturally diverse peoples.

Local knowledge and culture are integral parts of agrobiodiversity. Indigenous farming practices, traditional seed-saving techniques, and community-based livestock breeding have all contributed to the extraordinary variety of food species and breeds found across the world today. For example, in Burkina Faso and across the West African Sahel, rural women collect fruits, leaves, and roots from over 800 wild edible plant species – biodiversity maintained through generations of traditional knowledge and practice.

This human-environment interaction has several distinctive features. Many components of agrobiodiversity would not survive without human management. Economically important systems often depend on crop species introduced from other regions, creating deep interdependence between countries for genetic resources. And within crops, genetic diversity within a single species can be just as important as diversity between different species.

Consider India as an example. The country is one of the world’s eight centres of crop diversity, originally identified by the scientist N.I. Vavilov. Crops endemic to India include rice, millets, pulses, a wide range of vegetables, spices like cardamom and pepper, and fruits such as mango. This diversity exists because generations of Indian farmers selected and maintained varieties suited to their local climates, soils, and food cultures.

Agrobiodiversity as the foundation of agricultural production 🔗

Without biodiversity, there is no agriculture. Every single domesticated crop and livestock breed traces its origins back to wild ancestors. Wheat originated from wild grasses in the Fertile Crescent. Maize was domesticated from teosinte in Mesoamerica. Chickens descend from wild jungle fowl in Southeast Asia. The genetic diversity in these wild relatives continues to serve as a critical resource for improving modern crop varieties and animal breeds.

Beyond providing the raw genetic material for breeding, agrobiodiversity delivers essential ecosystem services that modern agriculture cannot function without. These include pollination of crops by bees and other insects, natural pest control by predatory species, nutrient cycling by soil organisms, erosion prevention, water regulation, and carbon sequestration. The Convention on Biological Diversity notes that every plant, animal, and microorganism contributes to the regulation of these services – from waste decomposition and nutrient cycling to climate regulation and flood prevention.

The practical benefits are well-documented. Agrobiodiversity increases food security by providing diverse food sources and reducing reliance on a narrow set of crops. It makes farming systems more resilient to climate shocks, pest outbreaks, and disease. It reduces dependence on expensive external inputs like synthetic fertilizers and chemical pesticides. And it supports human nutrition by offering a wider range of vitamins, minerals, and other healthful compounds across different food species and varieties.

Why agrobiodiversity is under threat 🔗

Despite its importance, agrobiodiversity has been seriously eroded over the past century. The global food system has become heavily dependent on a very small number of crops. Our food production is overly reliant on just three crops – corn, rice, and wheat – which account for more than half of what we produce globally. Over the past 50 years, both the genetic diversity within crops and the number of species commonly grown have declined significantly.

The drivers of this loss include the spread of industrial monoculture farming, excessive use of agrochemicals, habitat destruction, climate change, and the replacement of traditional, locally adapted varieties with uniform high-yielding ones. As crop and livestock diversity narrows, food systems become more vulnerable to climate shocks, new pest and disease outbreaks, and nutritional deficiencies.

Conserving agrobiodiversity requires action on multiple fronts – both ex situ (in gene banks and seed collections outside their natural environments) and in situ (on farms and in fields where traditional varieties continue to be grown and managed by farming communities). Conservation experts recommend integrating both approaches for the most effective outcomes.

Looking ahead 🔗

Agrobiodiversity is not just an academic concept – it is the living fabric of our food systems. It connects the genetic diversity in seeds to the soil organisms beneath our feet to the pollinators flying overhead, and all of it is woven together by centuries of human knowledge and agricultural practice. Protecting agrobiodiversity means protecting our ability to feed the world sustainably – today and into the future.

Frameworks like the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted under the Convention on Biological Diversity, set ambitious goals for halting biodiversity loss by 2030. But meeting these targets will require engaging the farmers and communities who have been the custodians of agrobiodiversity for millennia.

What do you think? How can modern agriculture better integrate traditional knowledge and local crop varieties to reverse the loss of agrobiodiversity? And in your region, what traditional foods or farming practices do you think deserve greater recognition and support?

References

1. https://www.fao.org/4/y5609e/y5609e01.htm
2. https://www.cbd.int/decision/cop?id=7147
3. https://www.un.org/en/observances/biological-diversity-day/convention
4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/agricultural-biodiversity
5. https://dicoagroecologie.fr/en/dictionnaire/agrobiodiversity/
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agricultural_biodiversity
7. https://foodprint.org/issues/biodiversity-and-agriculture/
8. https://ebooks.inflibnet.ac.in/esp03/chapter/agrobiodiversity/
9. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2610165/
10. https://www.cbd.int/undb/media/factsheets/undb-factsheets-en-web.pdf
11. https://lexiconoffood.com/agrobiodiversity/explained/
12. https://www.cbd.int/