Biological diversity is the comprehensive variety of life on Earth, including genetic diversity within species, the diversity of the species themselves, and the diversity of ecosystems such as forests, coral reefs, soils, and other natural communities. It is also called the "living fabric" of the planet, as biodiversity provides humans with food, water, medicine, and serves as a natural defense against climate change.
Agrobiodiversity is the subset of biological diversity that represents the many species of plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria that are directly or indirectly used in food production and agriculture. It includes the diversity of cultivated varieties and breeds necessary for food security.
Agrobiodiversity: Why is it Important?
- A Genetic Resource for Future Generations
- Food Sovereignty and Security
- Extinction of Local Varieties and Breeds
- Development of Small and Medium-Sized Farms
Scientists estimate that between 1900 and 2000 alone, 84% of the world's plant diversity, which possessed economically important genetic traits that enable the creation of new, resilient varieties capable of withstanding modern challenges such as drought, soil salinity, and other problems, was lost. In Europe, approximately 75% of food diversity has been lost from 1900 to the present, and in the Americas, 93%.
According to international organizations such as the FAO, IFOAM/Organics International (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements), and Slow Food International, of the approximately 250,000 known species of higher plants, only about 30 remain today, providing 95% of our diet. Over the past 20th century, approximately 30,000 varieties of vegetables have disappeared. For example, America has lost 97% of its vegetable diversity. Of the 7,000 apple varieties, only about 900 remain, and of the 2,600 pear varieties, only 330 remain today.
According to the FAO (2024), the global community is increasingly concerned about the decline of agrobiodiversity, as this leads to a decline in food quality and a reduction in sustainable diversity. The loss of genetic and species diversity threatens to have serious consequences for humanity's ability to feed itself in the future, especially given the projection that the global population will exceed 9 billion by 2050.
Regarding animals, since the first domesticated species, more than 7,000 breeds of mammals and birds have been developed for use in food production and agriculture. However, of the 40 species most commonly used in this sector, only five account for the majority of production—cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and chickens. Since the beginning of the 20th century, approximately 696 animal breeds have become extinct. Overall, 1,487 breeds are currently at risk of extinction, of which 579 are critically endangered. Approximately 33% of cattle breeds worldwide have already been lost and cannot be restored.
Agrobiodiversity: Where are the threats coming from?
- Global warming, soil degradation
- Habitat loss and environmental degradation, including depopulation, desertification, and changes in the water regime of basins
- Business is interested in a small number of commercially viable and convenient varieties and breeds
- Lack of a legal framework for the protection and conservation of national varieties, breeds, and microorganisms, and the sustainable use of their genetic diversity
The emergence of monocultures and associated threats
- A disease affecting one crop can completely destroy the harvest.
- This can lead to the extinction of certain plant varieties or species.
- This could result in a food crisis.
Developed countries with industrialized agricultural production use a limited number of plant varieties, which creates serious risks in the face of environmental change. Particularly dangerous is the tendency towards the widespread use of monocultures, which under certain circumstances, for example, during pest outbreaks or the spread of late blight, can completely perish, causing catastrophic consequences.