Agriculture occupies more than one third of the land in most countries of the world. Agricultural systems managed sustainably as ecosystems contribute to wider ecosystem functions such as maintenance of water quality, waste removal, soil moisture retention with reduction of runoff, water infiltration, erosion control, carbon sequestration, pollination, dispersal of seeds of wild and endangered plants, and refugia for species during droughts.

A range of populations needed by agriculture such as pollinators and beneficial predators need habitat diversity to survive. Agriculture therefore provides incentives to preserve areas such as hedgerows and field borders. Farming of aquatic species often occurs in natural water bodies. Thus, here too aquaculture provides incentives to protect the aquatic environment from adverse impacts, for example from pollution and water diversion. The need for adaptation and potential for improvement in productivity provides an incentive for the conservation of a diverse range of genetic resources both in situ and ex situ.

A large part of the human legacy of knowledge of biodiversity, its importance, and functions have been gained and will continue to be gained across cultures through agriculture practices, as well as that gained from the harvesting of natural populations. This is a resource that should be more actively used, as in schools' programmes, to strengthen the ecological literacy of all citizens.

For more on how biodiversity benefits natural and agricultural ecosystems, please see the FAO Biodiversity Awareness Folder.

Main FAO Biodiversity related websites: