This paper reviews the agroecosystems and agricultural biodiversity in Southern Africa and highlights the importance of the agricultural landscape in biodiversity conservation and the important role that the traditional farming systems play in conserving biodiversity. The review established that agrobiodiversity is of great importance to both small scale and large commercial farmers in Southern Africa through its provision of ecosystem services. The paper also highlights the significant loss of agrobiodiversity as a result of human population pressure and the transition from traditional mixed farming systems which is characterized with high agrobiodiversity, to modern monoculture farming resulting in decline of species diversity. Although concerted efforts are being made to promote the sustainable use and management of this agrobiodiversity, there need to have a multi-stakeholder approach so that conservation efforts are successful, a role that is currently played by the SADC Plant Genetic Resources Centre in Southern African conservation of agrobiodiversity

A. Bailey, 'Mainstreaming agrobiodiversity in sustainable food systems: Scientific foundations for an agrobiodiversity index - Summary', p.32, Bioversity International, 2017 | This book is the first step in the process of creating an index to help monitor the conservation and use of agrobiodiversity across different dimensions. There is a need to measure and understand biodiversity in rapid, cost-efficient ways, to connect also with policy decisions by countries and companies on best practices to foster diversity. There is a huge, and growing, number of existing datasets related to agricultural biodiversity, collected at different scales across different dimensions. This book summarizes evidence on the contribution of agricultural biodiversity to four interconnected dimensions: - Diverse, healthy diets - Multiple benefits in sustainable farming systems - Seed systems delivering crop diversity for sustainable food systems - Conserving agricultural biodiversity for use in sustainable food systems

Ahmed Amri, Ahmed Mazid, Kamel Shideed. (28/2/2006). Importance of agrobiodiversity and options for promoting its onfarm conservation and sustainable use: Case of West Asia dryland agrobiodiversity project. Aleppo, Syria. | West Asia encompasses the mega-center of diversity of species of global importance (wheat, barley, lentil, and many forage legume and fruit tree species) whose conservation will contribute to sustaining agriculture and food security worldwide. The landraces and wild relatives of these species form the basis of the traditional farming systems and contribute significantly to the livelihoods of local communities in the drylands and mountainous ecosystems in the countries in North Africa and West Asia. The GEF-funded project on conservation and sustainable use of dryland agrobiodiversity has developed a holistic approach to promote the conservation of the landraces and wild relatives of the species originating from Jordan, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority and Syria. The socio-economic and farming systems surveys showed that agriculture contributes to approximately 50% of the household income and that the landraces of barley, wheat, lentil, chickpea, olive, fig, are still widely used and contribute along with livestock to the livelihoods of local communities in the target areas. The technological, institutional and policy options are developed and tested within the project, which can contribute to the improvement of the livelihoods of local communities while conserving and sustaining the natural resource base and local agrobiodiversity. This contribution presents the relationship between local agrobiodiversity and the livelihoods of local communities and the examples of technologies, add-value and alternative sources of income to improve and diversify the incomes of the main custodians of agrobiodiversity

West Asia encompasses the mega-center of diversity of species of global importance (wheat, barley, lentil, and many forage legume and fruit tree species) whose conservation will contribute to sustaining agriculture and food security worldwide. The landraces and wild relatives of these species form the basis of the traditional farming systems and contribute significantly to the livelihoods of local communities in the drylands and mountainous ecosystems in the countries in North Africa and West Asia. The GEF-funded project on conservation and sustainable use of dryland agrobiodiversity has developed a holistic approach to promote the conservation of the landraces and wild relatives of the species originating from Jordan, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority and Syria. The socio-economic and farming systems surveys showed that agriculture contributes to approximately 50% of the household income and that the landraces of barley, wheat, lentil, chickpea, olive, fig, are still widely used and contribute along with livestock to the livelihoods of local communities in the target areas. The technological, institutional and policy options are developed and tested within the project, which can contribute to the improvement of the livelihoods of local communities while conserving and sustaining the natural resource base and local agrobiodiversity. This contribution presents the relationship between local agrobiodiversity and the livelihoods of local communities and the examples of technologies, add-value and alternative sources of income to improve and diversify the incomes of the main custodians of agrobiodiversity.

Since the 1970s Europe has approached plant genetic resources for food and agri-culture (PGRFA) as a specific domain defining its boundaries with the word “conservation”. At the beginning the focus was on ex situ conservation, i.e. genebanks conserving seeds in their storage systems. And then little by little the focus moved also to in situ/on farm conservation, i.e. conserving PGRFA where they have evolved and therefore also in farmers’ fields. But the pivotal word was always “conservation”, with procedures, rules, wording and policies mainly defined by the scientific community. Thus, the conservation of PGRFA was separated from agriculture as such, resulting in two distinct policy fields with few, if any, interrelations. This may be a reason why it took 10 years of negotiations of the directive on conservation varieties to have finally a legal text considering that seed laws should be amended in order to include more diversity. This booklet presents the recommendations for promoting an enabling environment for Community Agrobiodiversity Management in Europe, considering again diversity at all the levels (e.g. varieties, species, ecosystems, landscapes and men) as a key component of farming systems. This diversity - called agrobiodiversity and including also social and cultural diversities - plays a central role for achieving the sustainable use of PGRFA and for adapting our food systems facing climate change and new societal expectations.

This book is the first step in the process of creating an index to help monitor the conservation and use of agrobiodiversity across different dimensions. There is a need to measure and understand biodiversity in rapid, cost-efficient ways, to connect also with policy decisions by countries and companies on best practices to foster diversity. There is a huge, and growing, number of existing datasets related to agricultural biodiversity, collected at different scales across different dimensions. This book summarizes evidence on the contribution of agricultural biodiversity to four interconnected dimensions: - Diverse, healthy diets - Multiple benefits in sustainable farming systems - Seed systems delivering crop diversity for sustainable food systems - Conserving agricultural biodiversity for use in sustainable food systems.

The Fertile Crescent encompasses a mega-center of diversity of crops and livestock of global importance. The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) coordinated a 5-year regional project funded by the Global Environment Facility to promote in situ conservation of dryland agrobiodiversity in Jordan, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority and Syria. The project focused on conserving landraces and wild relatives of Allium, Vicia, Trifolium, Medicago and Lathyrus spp. and barley, wheat, lentil and dryland fruit trees (olive, prune, pear, pistachio, almond, cherry and apricot). ICARDA and national programs assessed the status and importance of local agrobiodiversity by surveying 570 farm households in the project target areas including the characterization of their livelihood strategies, agrobiodiversity use and household income sources. A wealth index was created considering human, natural, financial, physical and social assets and was used to classify households into four wealth quartiles. The results indicated that agriculture and agrobiodiversity continue to be important for supporting the livelihoods of poor communities in dry and mountainous regions. The poorest households obtained their income from diverse sources including crop production, off-farm labor and government employment. However, households in the highest wealth grouping are mainly dependent on income from selling livestock products and live animals. They also practiced crop production, worked off-farm and took advantage of government employment. Off-farm income was important for livelihoods in all areas, representing 43–68% of household incomes. For all groups, fruit trees were generally more important than field crops for income generation, mainly in mountainous areas. The finding of this study showed that all farmers’ groups contribute greatly to on-farm conservation of landraces, with a bigger role for poor farmers in conserving the landraces of fruit trees. Diversification of income and farming systems to include livestock, field crops and fruit trees along with off-farm activities are contributing to the conservation of agrobiodiversity in these marginal environments. Several opportunities for income increase and diversification through add-value activities and alternative sources of income are demonstrated to the custodians of dryland agrobiodiversity. Their benefits can contribute to the sustainability of agrobiodiversity conservation, provided that marketing of local products can be enhanced.

Objective: Agricultural biodiversity, also known as agrobiodiversity, encompasses the variety of plants, animals, and microorganisms that are directly or indirectly involved in agriculture. This diversity is the result of millennia of selection, management, and domestication of species, which has allowed societies to adapt to different environmental and cultural conditions. However, in recent decades, the loss of agrobiodiversity, accelerated by industrial agriculture, the expansion of monocultures, and the reduction of varieties, has put global food security at risk. This diversity is crucial to ensuring the resilience of agricultural systems in the face of challenges such as climate change, emerging pests, and the depletion of natural resources. This paper examines the importance of conserving agricultural biodiversity from the perspective of food security. It emphasizes how agrobiodiversity not only contributes to the stability of food production but also improves human diets by diversifying crops and providing essential micronutrients. Design/Methodology/Approach: A search was conducted on the following scientific information platforms: Web of Science database and Google Scholar. A systematic search for publications related to agrobiodiversity systems was carried out in the WoS database and Google Scholar over the last 49 years (1975-2024). Results: Genetic erosion is particularly concerning because genetic diversity is essential for crops to face environmental challenges such as climate change, pests, and diseases. The loss of traditional varieties, which are selected by local farmers to adapt to specific conditions, increases agriculture’s vulnerability to external disruptions. These landraces, having been cultivated in genetically diverse mosaics, offer protection against catastrophic losses in the event of crop failures due to extreme conditions or diseases. Findings/Conclusions: Genetic diversity allows for the development of sustainable solutions to pests and diseases, reducing dependence on pesticides and promoting more environmentally friendly farming practices. However, challenges related to biodiversity conservation persist, making it essential to implement public policies that promote agrobiodiversity and address the socioeconomic issues that limit its adoption.

The myth of technological progress in agriculture and then modern plant breeding have resulted in a separation of farming from breeding activities. Seed laws have also contributed to this outcome (e.g. by imposing strict rules for the entry of varieties in the official catalogue). Nowadays, some pioneers, among them farmers rejecting industrialized agriculture and more often practising organic agriculture, are proposing a different option. In Europe, since the beginning of this century, they have been organizing themselves in networks: the Réseau Semences Paysannes in France, the Red de Semillas in Spain and the Rete Semi Rurali in Italy. Their members are farmers, consumers and scientists working together in order to reconsider the scientific, technical and legal aspects of seed production. These new varieties are designated ‘peasant varieties’, a concept that encompasses two main aspects: the seed, the reproductive part of the plant linked to its terroir, and the variety, shaped by history and coevolved with farmers. Scientists working with these networks are developing participatory plant breeding projects, which aim to broaden agrobiodiversity by creating so called new peasant varieties. The basis of these projects comes from old local varieties and landraces conserved in seed banks. In Europe, the legal framework has evolved since the establishment of ‘conservation varieties’ by directive 98/95. The European research project Farm Seed Opportunities is under way to support new seed policies, in the light also of the different national contexts. The debate in Europe now offers a range of seed systems models. It is time to enlarge this debate to southern countries through the sharing of knowledge between farmers of the North and the South, aiming at conserving agrobiodiversity and promoting rural innovation.

The myth of technological progress in agriculture and then modern plant breeding have resulted in a separation of farming from breeding activities. Seed laws havealso contributed to this outcome (e.g. by imposing strict rules for the entry of varieties in the official catalogue). Nowadays, some pioneers, among them farmers rejecting industrialized agriculture and more often practising organic agriculture, are proposing a different option.In Europe, since the beginning of this century, they have been organizing themselves in networks: the Réseau Semences Paysannes in France, the Red de Semillas in Spain and the Rete Semi Rurali in Italy. Their members are farmers, consumers and scientists working together in order to reconsider the scientific, technical and legal aspects of seed production. Thesenew varieties are designated ‘peasant varieties’, a concept that encompasses two main aspects: the seed, the reproductive part of the plant linked to its terroir, and the variety, shaped by history and coevolved with farmers. Scientists working with these networks are developing participatory plant breeding projects, which aim to broaden agrobiodiversity by creating so called new peasant varieties. The basis of these projects comes from old local varieties and landraces conserved in seed banks. In Europe, the legal framework has evolved since the establishment of ‘conservation varieties’ by directive 98/95. The European research project Farm Seed Opportunities is under way to support new seed policies, in the light also of the different national contexts. The debate in Europe now offers a range of seed systems models. It is time to enlarge this debate to southern countries through the sharing of knowledge between farmers of the North and the South, aiming at conserving agrobiodiversity and promoting rural innovation.