Biodiversity for Sustainable Food and Nutrition Security

Emile Frison Director General, Bioversity International

Biodiversity and Rural Development in ACP Countries

Brussels, 10 March 2010

Hunger is increasing With the current global economic crisis, the food price crisis of 2007-2008 and climate change, reversing this trend will be a significant challenge

Malnutrition and famine

1020 million people hungry 1100 million people Overweight More than 1 person out of 3 is malnourished

Nutrition

• Hidden hunger: missing micronutrients – More than 2 billion worldwide – Mostly women and children • Double burden: diseases of “affluence” – Type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancers

Diversity of Diet

• Diverse diet protects • Indigenous/traditional species/varieties offer nutritional advantages Promote local agricultural biodiversity for improved diets and health  Also more sustainable

Focus on neglected species

• Wide range of species, not all cultivated • Indigenous, locally adapted, environmentally friendly, nutritious • Perceived as backward • Abandoned by scientists and ignored by policy makers • Bioversity has slowly promoted and expanded to build a global project

African leafy vegetables

Per 100 gm Amaranth (leaf) Iron mg

8.9

Calcium mg ß carotene ųg

410 5716

Cleome Nightshade Cabbage

6.0

288 10452 1.0

442 3660 0.7

47 100

Kenya

• Partnered with Family Concern (NGO) and Uchumi Supermarkets • Traditional leafy vegetables • Seed supply and agronomy • Training for cleaner, high quality produce • Leaflets to educate shoppers • Sales increase 1100% in two years

Other Studies

• India: Nutritious “minor” millets – Small mills to reduce drudgery – Local entrepreneurs develop snacks and biscuits with low GI • Bolivia – Andean grains

Climate Change

2025

Adaptability

2050 2075 0% Overlap with historical climate 100% • Selection and adaptation

require

diversity • New climates – New varieties – start breeding now – New crops – social factors unknown

Safeguard the diversity we will need tomorrow: crop wild relatives • Use existing data for accessions • Combine with climate change GIS data • Gap analysis to target collection in endangered areas

Intensification without Simplification

Resilience and Stability

perturbation stability resilience time

Many examples

• Barley in East Germany • Hay meadows in UK • Prairie productivity in US • Rice blast in China • Hanfetz (barley-wheat) in Eritrea

5 M Ha of mixed cropping in China

Thank you