Agricultural biodiversity is the diversity of crops and their wild relatives, trees, animals, microbes and other species that contribute to agricultural production. This diversity - which results from thousands of years of interactions among people and the environment - is a key component of healthy diets and human health. Food biodiversity is crucial to fight malnutrition and diet-related diseases. A diverse diet increases the likelihood of consuming adequate amounts of the full range of nutrients essential to human health.

Plant genetic resources, including crops, wild plants harvested and managed for food, trees on farms, pasture and rangeland species. Animal genetic resources, including domesticated animals, wild animals hunted for food, wild and farmed fish and other aquatic organisms. Microbial and fungal genetic resources.

These constitute the main units of production in agriculture and include cultivated and domesticated species, managed wild plants and animals, as well as wild relatives of cultivated and domesticated species.