Why crop diversity matters for the future of food? By Yurdi Yasmi (FAO)

By Yurdi Yasmi

Director of the Plant Production and Protection Division of the

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FAO

Across all continents and cultures, seeds and plants represent more than the promise of a harvest : they hold the wisdom of generations, the hopes of communities, and the keys to a more resilient future. Yet the diversity of the seeds and plants we grow, eat, and depend on is increasingly threatened.

Compared to just a decade ago, more than 40% of food plants and their wild relatives studied worldwide have disappeared from at least one of the areas where they once grew naturally or were cultivated. This silent erosion of crop diversity may not make headlines, but its implications for food security are profound.

Genetic diversity is important. It provides farmers and scientists with the foundation to respond to pests and diseases, malnutrition, and climate change. It enables the development of more nutritious, more productive, and better adapted crops to local conditions. Without it, our capacity to adapt weakens, just when that capacity is more crucial than ever.

Responses to loss

But this isn't a story of inevitable loss. It's a story of possibilities.

The Third Report on the State of the World's Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture , published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), offers a clear vision of the challenge, but also a way forward. Since FAO's last global assessment in 2010, there has been notable progress.

The world's gene banks now hold nearly six million samples of plant genetic material. Conservation areas, which include wild plants valuable to our food systems, have expanded by 11%, although it is unclear whether these areas are actively conserved.

Local seeds, local solutions

In several regions, efforts are underway to conserve traditional varieties through community seed banks and to develop climate-resilient crops using local genetic resources.

Emergency interventions play a vital role in the rehabilitation of agri-food systems. Between 2012 and 2019, FAO supported nearly 400 recovery actions in 48 countries—two-thirds of them in response to climate-related disasters. Whenever possible, seeds were sourced locally, enabling farming communities to recover not only their crops but also their cultural and nutritional traditions.

Diversity as an engine of development

At the heart of these efforts is a shared conviction: protecting crop diversity is not only an ecological imperative, but also a development opportunity. The seeds of the crops and varieties we protect today can transform the agri-food systems of tomorrow.

Still, more needs to be done. Many national gene banks operate with limited infrastructure, outdated systems, and limited capacity . New biotechnologies—such as genome sequencing and gene editing—offer great potential but remain inaccessible to many public breeding programs.

Commitment and global connection

We must also ensure that farmers, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities receive the support and recognition they deserve as custodians of this living diversity.

The momentum is real. The tools exist. What's needed now is a commitment to connecting them: developing, implementing, and investing in national and regional strategies, building cross-sector partnerships, and placing crop diversity at the heart of agrifood systems transformation.

At FAO, we are committed to helping countries achieve this. Through our convening capacity, technical expertise, and global partnerships, we work to ensure that the knowledge, technologies, and resources needed to protect plant genetic diversity are available to all who need them.

We know the risks. But we also know the potential.

If we choose to invest in the conservation and use of crop diversity, we can strengthen the future of food. For everyone, everywhere.

Yurdi Yasmi Director of the Plant Production and Protection Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ( FAO).

Opening photograph: copyright @ FAO Arshiya Noorani

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