The decline of biodiversity in the global food supply, by the numbers:

6,000+: Edible plant species, cultivated for food throughout history ³

170: Approximate number of crops that are commercially significant now

30: Food crops we depend on the most

9: Crops that account for 66 percent of global production⁴

3: Crops that supply more than 40 percent of our daily calorie intake (corn, wheat, and rice)

Examples from your own backyard:

90%: Estimated loss of fruit and vegetable seed varieties in the US since the 1900s ^{5 6}

50%+: The amount of endangered native plants in the US that are wild relatives of important food crops (e.g., wild rice)^{7 8}

How the loss of biodiversity threatens food security and the future of humanity

Loss of supply 

Lack of genetic diversity makes entire species more vulnerable to destruction by pests and disease. Ireland’s Great Famine is a tragic example—dependency on a single variety of potato that succumbed to blight had devastating consequences on the whole country.⁹

Loss of nutrients.

Approximately 1.5 billion people worldwide suffer from micronutrient deficiencies such as vitamin A and zinc¹⁰; a lack of genetic diversity within species contributes. For example, the pro-vitamin A carotenoid content of bananas ranges from less than one mcg per 100 grams to as high as 8,500 mcg per 100 grams between cultivars. Variety can spell the difference between micronutrient deficiency and micronutrient adequacy.¹¹

Loss of ecosystem services

Pollinators, soil microbes, and biological pest control, like beneficial insects, vanish when their food sources are depleted and habitats are degraded. According to the UN report, 17 percent of vertebrate pollinators are threatened with extinction.⁴

Look at a pasture. Look at a forest. Nature never farms in monocultures. –Bob Quinn, co-author of Grain by Grain¹²

Consider these specifics

30% higher species richness overall on organic farms. ¹³

50% more abundance of organisms in organic systems.

100 times higher abundance of pollinators on organic fields.

Biodiversity on your plate

The ripple effect can start with you, reverberating across every aspect of food production from your menu to farmers to soil, seeds, and pollinators. Choose organically grown, choose heirloom varieties, choose heritage breeds, choose wild, choose foods that reflect the vibrant diversity of nature. We’re all writers of this story… how does it end?

References Available Upon Request