Food Biodiversity, or more specifically, agro-biodiversity, is defined as the variety and variability of the plants, animals, micro-organisms, and biocultural systems linked to food. What was old has become new, as we continue this conversation about one very old concept that is surging back into the food dialogue. Labels such as organic, free-range, grass-fed, have become the premium buzzwords of today, simply describe the food supply-chain attributes and are not focused on the body’s interpretation of these ingredients.

Biodiversity is a measurement that combines richness and evenness across species diverse food spectrum of environmental availability.

We can start to understand this concept by thinking about all the different types of colors, the term “Eat the Rainbow” stands out in my mind. This coloring tells us a little bit about what we can expect nutritionally from these foods. Although the majority of phytochemicals are colorless, the ones that add color give us a head start to make sure our diets are providing the variety of vitamins and minerals that we need daily.