Transcript Agricultural Biodiversity: the best approach to missing
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