Biocultural diversity and crop improvement

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Agricultural Science
• Conservation Biology

Background:

• Biocultural diversity, encompassing all life on Earth, is intrinsically linked to human cultural diversity and provides vital ecosystem services.
• Human exploitation of resources poses a significant threat to global biodiversity, impacting sustainable productivity.
• Agricultural practices, while essential for food security, have historically led to a reduction in agricultural biodiversity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the critical role of biocultural diversity in supporting human well-being and ecosystem services.
• To examine the dual impact of crop improvement strategies on agricultural biodiversity.
• To advocate for the integration of biodiversity conservation within agricultural development and policy frameworks.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on biocultural diversity, crop improvement, and conservation.
• Analysis of the historical trends in agricultural biodiversity linked to crop improvement practices.
• Examination of current legal and policy frameworks governing biodiversity access and benefit sharing.

Main Results:

• Crop improvement, through both agronomic and genetic approaches, has historically reduced agricultural biodiversity.
• There is potential to reverse this trend by promoting diverse cultivars, underutilized crops, and leveraging modern breeding tools.
• Existing legal frameworks often limit access to biodiversity, hindering innovation and equitable benefit sharing.

Conclusions:

• Biocultural diversity is a crucial resource threatened by human activities, necessitating urgent conservation efforts.
• Strategic approaches in crop improvement can actively contribute to restoring and enhancing agrobiodiversity.
• Effective global governance, including equitable access and benefit-sharing mechanisms for biodiversity and digital sequence information, is essential for conservation and sustainable development, as outlined in the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework.