--- title: "Agricultural Biodiversity: Meaning, Examples & UK Farming" description: Agricultural biodiversity is the variety of life that food and farming depend on. What it includes, why it matters, UK data and how farms can restore it. --- [Pixcellence Blog](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog) # [Agricultural Biodiversity: Meaning, Examples & UK Farming](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/agricultural-biodiversity) Written by [Clwyd Probert](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/author/clwyd-probert) | 29 Oct 2026, 00:18:00 **Agricultural biodiversity, also called agrobiodiversity, is the variety of life that food and farming depend on: the crops and livestock we raise and their wild relatives, plus the pollinators, soil organisms, natural pest controllers and wildlife that live on and around farms.** The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) defines it as "the subset of biodiversity that contributes in one way or another to agriculture and food production" ([FAO](http://www.fao.org/interactive/state-of-biodiversity-for-food-agriculture/en/)). In the UK the subject matters more than almost anywhere, because farmland is most of the country: the utilised agricultural area covers **69% of UK land** ([Defra, Agriculture in the UK 2025](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/agriculture-in-the-united-kingdom-2025/chapter-2-structure-of-industry)). How that land is farmed largely decides the state of British wildlife. This guide explains what agricultural biodiversity includes, why farming needs it, how modern farming has affected it, and what UK farms are doing to bring it back. It is written for students, teachers and anyone curious about where food and nature meet. 69% Of UK land is farmed Defra, 2025 −63% UK farmland birds since 1970 Defra, 2026 9 crops Make up 66% of world crop production FAO, 2019 26% Of local livestock breeds at risk FAO, 2019 Sources: [Defra, Agriculture in the UK 2025](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/agriculture-in-the-united-kingdom-2025/chapter-2-structure-of-industry); [Defra, Wild bird populations 1970 to 2025](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/wild-bird-populations-in-the-uk/wild-bird-populations-in-the-uk-and-england-1970-to-2025); [FAO, State of the World's Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture (2019)](https://www.fao.org/newsroom/detail/The-biodiversity-that-is-crucial-for-our-food-and-agriculture-is-disappearing-by-the-day/en). Key Takeaway Farming both **depends on** biodiversity (pollinators, healthy soil, natural pest control, varied crops and breeds) and **shapes** it, because it covers most of the UK's land. State of Nature 2023 found that changes in how land is managed for farming, together with climate change, are the biggest causes of wildlife decline on UK land. Farms that make room for nature, such as the RSPB's Hope Farm, show that wildlife can recover while the farm still makes a profit. In this guide - [What is agricultural biodiversity?](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/agricultural-biodiversity?hs_amp=true#what-is) - [Examples of agricultural biodiversity in the UK](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/agricultural-biodiversity?hs_amp=true#examples) - [Why biodiversity matters for farming](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/agricultural-biodiversity?hs_amp=true#why-it-matters) - [How farming affects biodiversity](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/agricultural-biodiversity?hs_amp=true#impact) - [The shrinking genetic base of food](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/agricultural-biodiversity?hs_amp=true#genetic) - [How farms can restore biodiversity](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/agricultural-biodiversity?hs_amp=true#restore) - [Support for nature-friendly farming in the UK](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/agricultural-biodiversity?hs_amp=true#policy) - [What you can do](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/agricultural-biodiversity?hs_amp=true#you) - [FAQs](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/agricultural-biodiversity?hs_amp=true#faq) ## What is agricultural biodiversity? Agricultural biodiversity is the part of the living world that farming uses, relies on or shares its land with. The FAO's definition covers domesticated plants and animals, their wild relatives, wild species harvested for food, and what it calls **"associated biodiversity"**: the organisms that live in and around farms and help them produce food, from earthworms and soil fungi to bees and ladybirds ([FAO](http://www.fao.org/interactive/state-of-biodiversity-for-food-agriculture/en/)). The term is used in two overlapping ways, and it helps to be clear which one you mean: - **Biodiversity *for* agriculture**: the variety within crops and livestock themselves, such as different wheat varieties or cattle breeds, which gives farming the genetic material to cope with disease, pests and a changing climate. - **Biodiversity *on* farmland**: the wild plants and animals that live on farms, in hedgerows, field margins, ponds and meadows, and the services they provide. Like biodiversity in general, agricultural biodiversity can be described at [three levels](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/levels-of-biodiversity): | Level | On a farm, this means… | UK example | | --- | --- | --- | | Genetic | Variety within one crop or livestock species | The UK's 35 native cattle breeds, 15 of which are classed as rare | | Species | The range of crops, animals and wild species on and around the farm | Wild bees and hoverflies pollinating field beans and apples; skylarks and grey partridges nesting in fields | | Ecosystem | The mix of habitats across a farm and the wider landscape | Hedgerows, flower-rich margins, hay meadows, ponds and woodland edges between fields | ## What are examples of agricultural biodiversity in the UK? Agricultural biodiversity is all around the British countryside. Six good examples: 1. **Hedgerows.** England has around **390,000 km of hedgerows** on field boundaries, enough to go round the world almost ten times ([UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology](https://www.ceh.ac.uk/press/high-tech-aerial-mapping-reveals-englands-hedgerow-landscape)). They give shelter, food and travel routes to birds, mammals and insects, and shelter to livestock. 2. **Pollinators.** Bumblebees, solitary bees and hoverflies pollinate crops such as field beans, oilseed rape, apples and strawberries. 3. **Soil life.** Earthworms, springtails, beetles, fungi and bacteria recycle nutrients and build soil structure. Soil is thought to be home to about **59% of all species on Earth**, making it the planet's most biodiverse habitat ([Anthony et al., 2023, PNAS](https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2304663120)). 4. **Farmland birds.** Skylark, yellowhammer, grey partridge, lapwing and tree sparrow depend on farmland for nesting and food. 5. **Native livestock breeds.** Breeds shaped by local landscapes over centuries, from hill sheep to old dairy and beef cattle. The Rare Breeds Survival Trust lists 35 native UK cattle breeds, 15 of them rare ([RBST Watchlist](https://www.rbst.org.uk/watchlist/cattle/)). 6. **Crop diversity.** Traditional and heritage varieties of cereals, fruit and vegetables, and the wild relatives of crops growing in hedges and field edges. ## Why is biodiversity important in agriculture? Farming is an ecosystem that people manage, and like any ecosystem it runs on the work of living things. Biodiversity supports food production in five main ways, all examples of [ecosystem services](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/ecosystem-services): - **Pollination.** The government estimates the value of insect pollination to UK crops at £600 million, through higher yields and better-quality fruit and seed ([Defra, Bees' Needs](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bees-needs-food-and-a-home)). Yet a third of 353 wild bee and hoverfly species studied in Britain lost ground between 1980 and 2013 ([UKCEH](https://www.ceh.ac.uk/press/widespread-losses-pollinating-insects-britain)). - **Healthy soil.** Soil organisms break down crop residues, recycle nutrients and create the crumbly structure that holds water and resists erosion. See our [UK soil conservation guide](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/soil-conservation-uk-guide). - **Natural pest control.** Ground beetles, spiders, ladybirds, hoverfly larvae and birds eat crop pests, reducing the need for pesticides. - **Resilience.** A wider range of crops, varieties and breeds spreads risk. If a disease or drought hits one variety, others may cope. - **Clean water and flood control.** Hedgerows, buffer strips, wetlands and healthy soils slow runoff and filter out soil and fertiliser before they reach rivers. ## How does agriculture affect biodiversity? Globally, farming is the biggest pressure on nature on land. The IPBES Global Assessment found that more than a third of the world's land surface and nearly 75% of freshwater resources are devoted to crop or livestock production, and that land-use change has had the largest negative impact on land and freshwater ecosystems since 1970 ([IPBES, 2019](https://www.ipbes.net/news/Media-Release-Global-Assessment)). It is the first of the [five drivers of biodiversity loss](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/loss-of-biodiversity-causes). In the UK, the conclusion is just as direct. The State of Nature 2023 report, produced by more than 50 conservation and research organisations, found that changes in the way land is managed for farming, together with climate change, were the biggest causes of wildlife decline on UK land, rivers and lakes ([State of Nature 2023](https://stateofnature.org.uk/)). The farming changes behind that decline since the Second World War include: - ploughing up semi-natural grassland for arable crops; - reseeding, fertilising and more intensive grazing of grassland, which replaced flower-rich meadows with fast-growing grass; - draining wet fields and ponds; - greater use of pesticides and fertilisers; - removing hedgerows and field margins to make bigger fields. The farmland bird decline The UK farmland bird indicator is now **63% lower than in 1970**, and it fell another 12% between 2020 and 2025 ([Defra, October 2026](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/wild-bird-populations-in-the-uk/wild-bird-populations-in-the-uk-and-england-1970-to-2025)). Farmland birds are a widely used barometer because they depend on the insects, seeds and nesting cover that intensive farming removes. For the wider picture, see [UK wildlife decline](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/uk-wildlife-decline). The relationship runs both ways. Losing pollinators, soil life and natural pest predators makes farms more dependent on fertilisers and pesticides, and less able to cope with drought, floods and disease. ## How diverse is the food we grow? The genetic side of agricultural biodiversity has narrowed sharply. The FAO's first global assessment of biodiversity for food and agriculture found that ([FAO, 2019](https://www.fao.org/newsroom/detail/The-biodiversity-that-is-crucial-for-our-food-and-agriculture-is-disappearing-by-the-day/en)): - of more than **6,000 plant species** cultivated for food, **fewer than 200** make a substantial contribution to global food output; - just **nine crops account for 66%** of total crop production; - **26%** of the world's 7,745 local livestock breeds are at risk of extinction. A narrow genetic base is a risk to food security: a single disease, pest or extreme season can hit a whole crop at once. Older varieties and breeds often carry useful traits, such as hardiness, disease resistance or the ability to thrive on rough grazing, that plant and animal breeders may need in future. In the UK, conservation of farm genetic diversity relies heavily on charities, gene banks and individual farmers who keep traditional breeds and varieties going. ## How can farms restore biodiversity? **Nature-friendly farming** means managing a working farm so that it produces food and supports wildlife at the same time. Most of the practices are simple, and many are now paid for by government schemes: - **Managing hedgerows** on a longer cutting cycle so they flower and fruit, and planting new ones to fill gaps; - **Sowing flower-rich margins and wildflower strips** for pollinators and insect-eating birds; - **Leaving winter food**, such as seed-rich crops and stubbles, for farmland birds; - **Low-input grassland and hay meadows**, with little or no fertiliser, so wildflowers can return; - **Herbal leys**: grass mixed with clovers and deep-rooting herbs that feed livestock, fix nitrogen and improve soil; - **Protecting soil** with cover crops and less ploughing; - **Restoring ponds and wet areas**; - **Using fewer pesticides** by encouraging natural predators. Case study: RSPB Hope Farm, Cambridgeshire The RSPB bought Hope Farm, a conventional arable farm, in 2000 to test whether a profitable farm could also be good for wildlife. After 25 years of hedgerow management, flower-rich margins, winter bird food and careful pesticide use, the RSPB reports that **breeding farmland birds are up 177%, wintering farmland birds up 1,326% and butterflies up 589%**, while the farm still makes a profit ([RSPB, 2026](https://www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happening/news/cop-seventeen)). Doing a farmland biodiversity project? Learn how ecologists count species and compare habitats, from quadrats to diversity indices, in our step-by-step guide. [How to measure biodiversity](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/measuring-biodiversity) ## What support is there for nature-friendly farming in the UK? Since leaving the EU's Common Agricultural Policy, each UK nation has been redesigning farm payments around public goods such as wildlife, soil, water and climate. In England this is the **Environmental Land Management** system. - **Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI).** The 2026 offer, SFI26, opened to applications from 30 June 2026 and closed in September 2026, backed by £240 million for new agreements. It offers 71 actions. The five most popular were managing grassland with very low nutrient inputs, managing hedgerows, haymaking, herbal leys and managing ponds ([Defra](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/290m-for-simpler-fairer-more-accessible-farming-schemes); [SFI26 guidance](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sustainable-farming-incentive-2026-sfi26); [Defra SFI uptake statistics](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/sfi-uptake-september-2026/sustainable-farming-incentive-agreement-uptake-and-applications-september-2026)). - **Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier** funds more ambitious habitat restoration on the most important sites. - **Hedgerow targets.** The Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 commits to supporting farmers to create or restore 48,000 km of hedgerows by 2037 and 72,500 km by 2050 ([Defra, EIP 2025](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environmental-improvement-plan-2025/environmental-improvement-plan-eip-2025)). Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own farm support schemes. Across the UK, State of Nature 2023 noted that a fifth of farmland is in agri-environment schemes, but only part of this could be considered nature-friendly farming. For how payments for nature work more broadly, see [payments for ecosystem services](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/payments-for-ecosystem-services). ## What can you do to support agricultural biodiversity? - **Buy from farms that farm for nature**, and ask shops and caterers where their food comes from. - **Grow for pollinators.** Gardens, allotments and school grounds with flowers from spring to autumn help bees and hoverflies that also pollinate nearby crops. - **Record wildlife.** Citizen-science schemes such as the UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme and BTO bird surveys produce the data used to track farmland nature. - **Support rare breeds and heritage varieties**, through farm shops, rare-breed meat and old fruit varieties. - **Study it.** A hedgerow species count, or a quadrat survey comparing a field margin with the crop beside it, makes an excellent GCSE or A-level fieldwork project. For more ideas, see our guide to [how to protect biodiversity](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/how-to-protect-biodiversity). ## Frequently asked questions about agricultural biodiversity ### What is agricultural biodiversity in simple words? Agricultural biodiversity is the variety of living things that farming depends on or shares its land with: crops and livestock and their different varieties and breeds, plus wild species such as pollinators, soil organisms, pest-eating insects and farmland birds. ### What is agrobiodiversity? Agrobiodiversity is another word for agricultural biodiversity. The FAO describes it as the subset of biodiversity that contributes to agriculture and food production, including domesticated plants and animals, their wild relatives and the "associated biodiversity" that supports farm production. ### What are examples of agricultural biodiversity? Examples include different crop varieties and livestock breeds, wild relatives of crops, pollinating bees and hoverflies, earthworms and soil fungi, natural pest predators such as ground beetles, and farm habitats such as hedgerows, hay meadows and field margins. ### Why is biodiversity important in agriculture? Biodiversity pollinates crops, keeps soils fertile, controls pests naturally, cleans water and makes farming more resilient to disease, pests and extreme weather. The government values insect pollination of UK crops at £600 million. ### How does agriculture affect biodiversity? Farming can harm biodiversity by replacing natural habitats, removing hedgerows, draining wetlands and using pesticides and fertilisers. State of Nature 2023 found that changes in farmland management, together with climate change, are the biggest causes of wildlife decline on UK land. Nature-friendly farming can reverse some of that loss. ### How much of the UK is farmland? The utilised agricultural area covers 69% of UK land, according to Defra's Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2025. That is why farming practices have such a large effect on British wildlife. ### What is nature-friendly farming? Nature-friendly farming means producing food while managing land to support wildlife, soil and water: for example, managing hedgerows, sowing flower-rich margins, leaving winter food for birds, reducing pesticide use and protecting soil. ### How can farmers increase biodiversity? Farmers can plant and manage hedgerows, sow wildflower margins and herbal leys, reduce fertiliser on grassland, create ponds, provide winter seed for birds and protect soil with cover crops. In England many of these actions are paid for through the Sustainable Farming Incentive. Explore UK biodiversity Plain-English, evidence-led guides to the UK's wildlife, habitats and the pressures on them, each sourced and illustrated in watercolour. [What is biodiversity?](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/what-is-biodiversity) [Browse all guides](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog) Sources: [FAO, State of the World's Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture (2019)](http://www.fao.org/interactive/state-of-biodiversity-for-food-agriculture/en/); [Defra, Agriculture in the UK 2025](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/agriculture-in-the-united-kingdom-2025/chapter-2-structure-of-industry); [Defra, Wild bird populations 1970 to 2025](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/wild-bird-populations-in-the-uk/wild-bird-populations-in-the-uk-and-england-1970-to-2025); [State of Nature 2023](https://stateofnature.org.uk/); [IPBES Global Assessment (2019)](https://www.ipbes.net/news/Media-Release-Global-Assessment); [UKCEH hedgerow mapping](https://www.ceh.ac.uk/press/high-tech-aerial-mapping-reveals-englands-hedgerow-landscape); [UKCEH pollinator trends](https://www.ceh.ac.uk/press/widespread-losses-pollinating-insects-britain); [Defra, Bees' Needs](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bees-needs-food-and-a-home); [Anthony et al. (2023), PNAS](https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2304663120); [Rare Breeds Survival Trust](https://www.rbst.org.uk/watchlist/cattle/); [RSPB Hope Farm](https://www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happening/news/cop-seventeen); [Defra, SFI26](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/290m-for-simpler-fairer-more-accessible-farming-schemes); [Defra, Environmental Improvement Plan 2025](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environmental-improvement-plan-2025/environmental-improvement-plan-eip-2025). 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