Below-ground biodiversity constitutes and maintains the soil that is required to grow crops, while plant resources comprise the fodder and pasture that sustains livestock herds. A broad range of other ecosystem services also enable, maintain and protect agricultural productivity and output, such as land erosion control, soil fertility, water quality and supply, climate change adaptive capacity, natural pest control, pollination and seed dispersal by wild birds, mammals and insects. These services are fundamental if global food production is to meet the world’s growing need for food. Agro-biodiversity entails the variety and variability of animals, plants, fungi and micro-organisms, at the genetic, species and ecosystem levels, which are necessary to sustain key functions of the agro-ecosystem. This diversity of animals, plants and fungi is an essential source of food for rural poor who rely on these agro-ecosystems for their livelihoods and consumption. However, unsustainable agricultural practices such as extensive use of pesticides and mono-cropping are threatening agro-biodiversity and the sustainability of their subsequent agro-ecosystem services. Maintaining agro-biodiversity by cultivating a wide variety of crops and livestock and taking into account ecosystem functions reduces the need for external farm inputs, increases availability of animal and plant nutrients, and reduces pests through natural means. A rich biodiversity contributes significantly to the nutrient recycling processes that support and enable crop production. Additionally, essential plant and crop pollination is provided by many insect, bird and bat species. Globally, rich agricultural biodiversity is highly valued and contributes significantly to household income and national food security.