Agro Biodiversity Conservation for Protecting the Future of Food

The world's food security is under threat.

- Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhee

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations reports that 75 per cent of the world's food comes from just 12 plant and five animal sources. Three crops - wheat, rice and corn - account for 51 per cent of the calories included in the diet. With such massive dependence on these crops, there is always a risk to food security due to climate vagaries and emerging pests. Information collated by the CGIAR Foresight Initiative shows that up to 22 per cent of wild crop species may go extinct by 2055 and that over 9 per cent of the mammal domesticated breeds had already become extinct by 2016. The magnitude of such threats is undermining the future sustainability of agricultural production and the food security and livelihoods of countless producers and consumers.

Agro biodiversity, or agricultural biodiversity, refers to the variety of plants, animals, and microorganisms used in food and agriculture. As per FAO estimates, there are more than 30,000 edible plants in the world, out of which 6,000 plants are consumed by human beings and around 700 are cultivated on a large scale. India, with its rich cultural heritage and diverse ecosystems, is home to a vast array of agro biodiversity. The country has a documented history of over 9,000 plant species, including medicinal and wildflowers, consumed over 4,000 years of Indian civilization.