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Published on
13.05.25
Photo credit: Investigación para Entorno Alimentario y Comportamiento del Consumidor. CIAT/Juan Pablo Marin García
On May 22, 2025, CGIAR celebrates the International Day for Biological Diversity, reaffirming our global commitment to protecting and promoting agrobiodiversity as a foundation for resilient food systems, environmental health, and sustainable development.
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) issued this year’s theme, “Harmony with nature and sustainable development,” calling on all actors—governments, scientists, civil society, and individuals—to implement the landmark Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
From training smallholders in Colombia in conserving native maize seeds to supporting school-based agrobiodiversity clubs in Ghana, CGIAR continues to advance the role of agrobiodiversity as a cornerstone of climate action, ecosystem restoration, and community empowerment.
Photo credit: Ba Vi National Park, hotspot of biodiversity and CIAT field trial site. CIAT/Georgina Smith
Why Agrobiodiversity Matters
Agrobiodiversity—the variety and variability of plants, animals, and microorganisms used directly or indirectly for food and agriculture—is essential for food security, nutrition, and ecosystem services. It strengthens soil health, supports pollination, improves resilience to pests and disease, and provides the genetic building blocks for adaptation in a changing climate.
Yet it is under threat. Today, global food systems are becoming increasingly homogenous. Industrial farming, habitat loss, climate change, and market homogenization have drastically reduced diversity..
According to the FAO, 75% of crop genetic diversity has been lost since the 1900s, and just around nine crops account for 70% of global food production. Restoring and safeguarding agrobiodiversity is not just about conservation—it’s about survival.
Photo credit: A view of the forest in Central Kalimantan. Nanang Sujana/CIFOR
From Global Commitments to Local Actions
CGIAR works across innovations, programs, and partnerships to reverse this trend by mainstreaming agrobiodiversity in research and practice.
As a key scientific partner in global policy processes, CGIAR took a leading role at CBD COP16, co-hosting a full-scale Food Pavilion that showcased how food systems transformation and biodiversity goals are interconnected. Throughout COP16, CGIAR’s expertise helped inform key discussions and decisions—from the inclusion of food systems in biodiversity dialogues to advancing the One Health approach and supporting Indigenous knowledge and rights in biodiversity governance.
CGIAR’s Multifunctional Landscapes Program is also aligned with this mission. It focuses on managing land, forests, water, and biodiversity to achieve climate mitigation, resilient livelihoods, and sustainable food systems. By working across scales—from farms to watersheds—this program exemplifies the systems-based approach required to conserve biodiversity while feeding a growing population.
Photo credits: A view of the forest in Central Kalimantan. Nanang Sujana/CIFOR
For example, the Seeds for Needs: Citizen Science and Crowdsourcing approach empowers farmers to test and identify climate-resilient varieties in real-world conditions, directly linking them to breeding programs. And in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, participatory crop selection efforts have enabled farmers to evaluate and adopt climate-adapted varieties of beans, millet, and sorghum.
Agrobiodiversity plays a crucial role in building eco-efficient farming systems. By harnessing soil, water, and carbon cycles, it reduces dependency on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, improving both yields and ecological integrity. These biodiversity-rich systems foster beneficial soil organisms and pollinators, enhance water retention, and restore long-term soil health.
Photo credits: Granadilla flower. Yoly Gutierrez/CIFOR
Science That Safeguards and Scales
The foundation of CGIAR’s contribution to biodiversity is its genebanks. Across the CGIAR system, we conserve and make available over 700,000 accessions of crop, forage, and tree genetic resources. These living libraries enable the development of new, resilient varieties adapted to local conditions and future challenges. These diverse resources exist thanks to the hard work of farmers, breeders, and researchers over the centuries.
All CGIAR genebanks follow the highest international conservation standards and share expertise with national partners. They also innovate to safeguard crop diversity in smarter, more sustainable ways. For example, CGIAR’s work on cryopreservation ensures long-term protection of genetic material that might otherwise be lost. Meanwhile, field-based tools like the award-winning Agrobiodiversity Index allow countries and businesses to measure and manage agrobiodiversity across landscapes and supply chains.
Photo credit: Bracken plant. Marlon del Aguila Guerrero/CIFOR
Recent efforts in Colombia and Cuba illustrate how targeted support can drive change. In Colombia, indigenous and local farmers were trained to conserve native maize varieties, simultaneously protecting cultural heritage and ecosystem services. In Cuba, long-term CGIAR collaboration has led to the development of biodiverse seed systems that ensure food resilience amid climate shocks.
In Kenya, CGIAR-supported nature-positive solutions are helping smallholder farmers diversify income and diets through equipment, training, and incentives to grow and process underutilized crops. These efforts also help restore degraded landscapes and increase ecological resilience.
Photo credit: Teak and manioc plantation in Yanonge, DRC. Axel Fassio/CIFOR
Youth, Schools, and the Next Generation of Stewards
Biodiversity conservation must begin with education. CGIAR’s support for school meal programs that promote local agrobiodiversity links improved nutrition with awareness of native species. In Ghana, a one-of-a-kind “Agrobiodiversity Fan Club””Agrobiodiversity Fan Club” introduced children to the value of seed saving and traditional knowledge, building a new generation of conservation leaders.
Such grassroots efforts are matched by high-level policy engagement. Through the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, countries have committed to restoring 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030. CGIAR’s contributions to Living Labs for Agroecosystems support these goals by turning scientific research into place-based innovation hubs, co-designed with farmers, communities, and researchers.
Photo credit: Planting Gnetum (okok) in the village of Minwoho, Lekié, Center Region, Cameroon. Ollivier Girard/CIFOR
Looking Ahead: Bold Science, Broad Coalitions
The upcoming Third International Agrobiodiversity Congress in China later this year will further galvanize global action. Co-organized by CGIAR and partners, the Congress is expected to bring together hundreds of researchers, farmers, indigenous leaders, and policymakers to set the next frontier for agrobiodiversity research and governance.
On this International Day for Biological Diversity, CGIAR recommits to this vision. Through partnerships, policies, and people-powered innovation, we will continue to ensure that agrobiodiversity thrives.
Photo credit: Aerial view of the Amazon Rainforest, near Manaus, the capital of the Brazilian state of Amazonas, Brazil. Neil Palmer/CIAT