Why is Crop Diversity Important?

Crop diversity is important on individual, national, and global scales.

FREMONT, CA: Crop diversity refers to planting different crops (planting carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, and beans on the same farm) and planting distinct varieties of one crop (planting multiple types of tomatoes).

Crop diversity is critical on the individual farm and national and global scales for two reasons: 1) the need for genetic diversity to protect the world's food supply and 2) the influence of biodiversity on the health of agricultural & nonagricultural ecosystems.

Healthy Ecosystems and Resilient Businesses

Crop diversity on the farm level enhances soil health and quality, decreases non-beneficial pest populations, encourages beneficial organisms, and improves the economic resilience of farms.

A farm that grows many crops, and wide varieties within each crop, will have a resilient and healthier ecosystem, be more able to prevent and withstand issues that can result in crop loss, and less dependence upon synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides that pollute our land and waterways.

In addition, by growing more than one crop, i.e., producing more than one product, farms can withstand the economic consequences of crop-specific failures or market fluctuations.

Global Food Supply

Crop diversity enhances genetic diversity in our food supply. This is particularly important for crops responsible for the world's food consumption. The deficiency of genetic diversity in an important crop means a global dependence upon the large variety produced on a large scale.

Crops with less genetic diversity are more sensitive to disease and other issues that can lead to crop failure. Our dependence on these crops leaves our food supply more vulnerable, and the consequences of crop failure are direr.