Agricultural biodiversity is a sub-set of general biodiversity involving commerically grown crops. Many believe it is threatened by globalisation of food markets and tastes, intellectual property systems and the spread of unsustainable industrial food production including GMOs. However, it provides the basis of the food security and livelihood security and underpins the development of all food production. It is the first link in the food chain, developed and safeguarded by farmers, livestock breeders, forest workers, fishermen and indigenous peoples throughout the world.

Scope

Although the term agricultural biodiversity is relatively new - it has come into wide use in recent years as evidenced by bibliographic references - the concept itself is quite old. It is the result of the careful selection and inventive developments of farmers, herders and fishers over millennia. Agricultural biodiversity is a vital sub_set of biodiversity. It is a creation of humankind whose food and livelihood security depend on the sustained management of those diverse biological resources that are important for food and agriculture. Agricultural biodiversity includes:

• Domesticated crop and 'wild' plants, including woodland and aquatic plants (used for food and other natural resources based products), domestic and wild animals (used for food, fibre, milk, hides, furs, power, organic fertilizer), fish and other aquatic animals, within field, forest, rangeland and aquatic ecosystems

• Non-harvested species within production agroecosystems that support food provision, including soil micro-biota, pollinators and so on

• Non-harvested species in the wider environment that support food production agroecosystems (agricultural, pastoral, forest and aquatic ecosystems)

Agricultural Biodiversity, sometimes called Agrobiodiversity, "encompasses the variety and variability of animals, plants and micro_organisms which are necessary to sustain key functions of the agroecosystem, its structure and processes for, and in support of, food production and food security". FAO (http://www.fao.org/sd/EPdirect/EPre0080.htm). It is the product of sustainable agroecological production systems and these systems simultaneously depend on a wide range of agricultural biodiversity.

It is often forgotten that aquatic diversity is also an important component of agricultural biodiversity. The conservation and sustainable use of local aquatic ecosystems, ponds, rivers, coastal commons by artisanal fisherfolk and smallholder farmers is important to the survival of both humans and the environment. Since aquatic organisms, including fish, provide much of our food supply as well as underpinning the income of coastal peoples, it is critical that fisherfolk and smallholder farmers have genetic reserves and sustainable ecosystems to draw upon as aquaculture and marine fisheries management continue to evolve.

Human dependency

Agricultural biodiversity is not only the result of human activity but human life is dependent on it not just for the immediate provision of food and other natural resources based goods, but for the maintenance of areas of land and waters that will sustain production and maintain agroecosystems and the wider biological and environmental services (biosphere).

Agricultural Biodiversity provides:

• Sustainable production of food and other agricultural products emphasising both strengthening sustainability in production systems at all levels of intensity and improving the conservation, sustainable use and enhancement of the diversity of all genetic resources for food and agriculture, especially plant and animal genetic resources, in all types of production systems

• Biological or life support to production emphasising conservation, sustainable use and enhancement of the biological resources that support sustainable production systems, particularly soil biota, pollinators and predators

• Ecological and social services provided by agro-ecosystems such as landscape and wildlife protection, soil protection and health (fertility, structure and function), water cycle and water quality, air quality, CO2 sequestration, etc.

Agroecosystems vs natural ecosystems

Agricultural biodiversity has spatial, temporal and scale dimensions especially at agroecosystem levels. These agroecosystems - ecosystems that are used for agriculture - are determined by three sets of factors: the genetic resources (biodiversity), the physical environment and the human management practices. There are virtually no ecosystems in the world that are "natural" in the sense of having escaped human influence. Most ecosystems have been to some extent modified or cultivated by human activity for the production of food and income and for livelihood security.

See also

• International Seed Treaty (http://www.ukabc.org/itpgrfa29june2004.htm)
• International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (IT PGRFA)
• Karen Commitment on Livestock Keepers Rights (http://www.ukabc.org/karen.htm)

External links

• UK Agricultural Biodiversity Coalition (http://www.ukabc.org/)