This desk study analyses links between agrobiodiversity and human health and maps three dominant discourses: (1) an Institutional–Experts’ discourse emphasising biodiversity (mainly inter‑species) as foundational for healthy diets and documenting a global nutrient decline in industrial food systems; (2) a Technology‑Centred discourse exemplified by biofortification (including conventional, agronomic and transgenic approaches), which is presented as a technical fix to micronutrient deficiencies but raises concerns about stability, acceptance, dependency and skewed focus on single nutrients; and (3) a Civil Society, human‑rights based discourse that advocates holistic, agroecological solutions, the protection and use of peasant varieties, cultural dimensions of food, and food sovereignty. Key points include evidence and debate on intra‑specific (varietal) differences in nutrient content, links between yield increases and nutrient dilution, risks and limits of biofortification, the role of soils and food processing, and the importance of multidisciplinary research, local varieties and awareness‑raising to support diverse, nutritious food systems. The study calls for integrated research and policy attention to intraspecific diversity, support for peasant seed systems, and caution about single‑technology solutions that may undermine dietary diversity and local autonomy.
Key topics: agrobiodiversity, nutrition, biofortification, intraspecific diversity, seed systems, dietary diversity, farmers’ rights, ultra-processed food
