The significance of agrobiodiversity for sustainable diets

Over the past decades, the globalisation of markets and the industrialisation of food systems have monotonised farming globally, which is now dominated by the mono-cropping of a handful of calorie-dense staple crops. In low- and middle-income countries, the erosion of inter- and intraspecific agrobiodiversity has induced a transition to a “Western” diet characterised by ultra-processed food and calorie-dense staples. As a response, several peasant farmer movements have engaged in conserving farm system diversity and related traditional diets. In high-income countries, trends like farm-to-table or “superfoods” aim to restore agrobiodiversity but are limited to niche sectors. We discuss the causes of agroecosystem simplification and their consequences for diets in different parts of the world. We then point to the significance of diversified farming for food security and healthy, accessible, and tasty food.