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  • Publication | 2024

Preserving Agrobiodiversity: A Path to Resilient Food Systems

Global Food and Nutrition Security

Agrobiodiversity – the variety of crops, livestock, fisheries, and wild species in food and agriculture – is a vital but overlooked component sustaining food production and resilient ecosystems. 

With 50% of the world’s habitable land used for agriculture, protecting this biodiversity is crucial to achieving Global Biodiversity Framework goals. 

Industrial agriculture, relying on monocultures and chemical inputs, is the single largest driver of biodiversity loss – responsible for deforestation, species endangerment, and habitat destruction. It has wiped out diversity of landscapes and resilience in food systems, leaving them vulnerable to climate shocks, diseases, and market fluctuations. 

The importance of agroecology 

Agroecological food production, however, offers a proven solution: enhancing biodiversity while improving soil health, and farmer livelihoods, while increasing resilience to climate shocks. Governments must integrate agroecological principles into their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) to foster food systems that are climate-resilient, productive, and biodiversity-enhancing, supporting multiple Global Biodiversity Framework targets. 

By addressing the root causes of green grabbing and agrobiodiversity loss, we can create a more just and sustainable future for both people and the planet.