Adapting wild biodiversity conservation approaches to conserve agrobiodiversity

Abstract

The global biodiversity crisis in agriculture is overlooked compared with that in wild systems. This must change if we are to safeguard domesticated plant diversity and meet global sustainable development and biodiversity goals. In this Perspective, we review tools developed through decades of wild biodiversity conservation and provide a framework for adapting and applying these for agrobiodiversity conservation. We focus on challenges and solutions around monitoring the status of agrobiodiversity, prioritizing its conservation, conserving it in situ and financing to ensure these actions can be maintained long term. Conserving global agrobiodiversity supports wider conservation efforts and is crucial for achieving food security, climate resilience and a sustainable future. The global biodiversity crisis impacting agriculture is overlooked compared with wild systems. This Perspective presents an overview of the the tools developed for wild biodiversity conservation and provides a framework to adapt these for agrobiodiversity conservation to better address sustainability goals.