Biodiversity forms the foundation for sustainable development and is the basis for the environmental health of all ecosystems and the source of economic and ecological security for present and future generations.
Biological diversity is of direct importance to the future of all countries.
Genetic diversity provides the basis for speciation, allowing a species to respond to natural selection and adapt to its environment, adjusting its functions within both the community and the ecosystem. Many thousands of years of herding, farming and management have resulted in a vast range of useful variations in domesticated animals and crops. In addition, the value of wild plants and animals has been increased by traditional knowledge of their use for food, medicine, fibres and forage. For many crop species, testing and enhancement is not extensively available and the diversity of less well-known materials from random or wild collections or explorations are directly used. Pre-breeding can also enhance adaptability for different environmental or economic demands and can differentiate populations to generate more useful diversity within crop species.