Agricultural Biodiversity

About Agricultural Biodiversity

  • What is Agricultural Biodiversity?
    Agricultural biodiversity is a broad term that includes all components of biological diversity of relevance to food and agriculture, and all components of biological diversity that constitute the agro-ecosystem. More »

  • Why is Agricultural Biodiversity Important?
    Agricultural biodiversity provides humans with food and raw materials for goods - such as cotton for clothing, wood for shelter and fuel, plants and roots for medicines - and with incomes and livelihoods, including those derived from subsistence farming. Agricultural biodiversity also performs ecosystem services such as soil and water conservation, maintenance of soil fertility and biota, and pollination, all of which are essential to human survival. More »

  • What's the Problem?
    While agriculture contributes significantly to conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, it is also a major driver of biodiversity loss. The Earth’s biodiversity is being lost at an alarming rate, putting in jeopardy the sustainability of agriculture and ecosystem services and their ability to adapt to changing conditions, threatening food and livelihoods security. More »

  • What Needs to be Done?
    In order to address these challenges, the Conference of the Parties adopted the programme of work on agricultural biodiversity (annex to decision V/5) in 2000, at its fifth meeting. This programme consists of four elements (assessment, adaptive management, capacity-building and mainstreaming) and three cross-cutting initiatives (on pollinators, soil biodiversity and biodiversity for food and nutrition), to be implemented using the ecosystem approach, whereby cultural, socio-economic and environmental elements are recognized. More »