Replanting Agricultural Biodiversity in the CBD

This report by Friends of the Earth International argues for the reintegration of agricultural biodiversity into the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), contrasting the biodiversity-rich peasant food web with the narrow industrial food chain.

• There is a stark contrast between the diversity of the peasant food web and the industrial food chain. The peasant food web has developed 7,000 domesticated plant species, including 2.1 million varieties, and preserved 50,000–60,000 crop wild relatives. Conversely, the industrial food chain utilizes only 137 crop species, with 16 of those representing 86% of global food production.
• Agricultural biodiversity has been marginalized within the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) over time. Despite initially being framed as central to sustainable development, equity, and conservation after the Rio period, it has been sidelined, and the Convention and its Parties failed to implement policies to address agriculture within the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.
• Industrial agriculture and intensive livestock production are identified as the primary drivers of ecosystem destruction, land use change, and a significant factor in climate change. In contrast, peasant agriculture, practiced by most small-scale farmers, is presented as a solution that protects and nurtures agricultural biodiversity.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (n.d.). Replanting Agricultural Biodiversity in the CBD. https://www.foei.org/publication/replanting-agricultural-biodiversity-in-the-cbd/

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. Replanting Agricultural Biodiversity in the CBD. n.d. https://www.foei.org/publication/replanting-agricultural-biodiversity-in-the-cbd/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=Replanting Agricultural Biodiversity in the CBD |url=https://www.foei.org/publication/replanting-agricultural-biodiversity-in-the-cbd/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternationalndreplanting, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{Replanting Agricultural Biodiversity in the CBD}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, url = {https://www.foei.org/publication/replanting-agricultural-biodiversity-in-the-cbd/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }