Land-use decisions affect the richness and distribution of agrobiodiversity and, where the effects are negative, reduce the contributions of agrobiodiversity to ecological services and climate change resilience. Despite its importance, agrobiodiversity and its custodians are often ignored in both conservation and agricultural development as reflected in the debate about land “sparing” versus land “sharing”. Feeding the world’s growing population amid climate change will require agroecological pathways and greater consideration of agrobiodiversity. This involves a closer look at the ways to increase functional and adaptive diversity in crop populations, cropping systems and landscape mosaics. Finally, we suggest a process for designing land-use patterns that does not undermine land rights and needs of local communities, but promotes agrobiodiversity, local knowledge and innovation.