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
Amaranth
(leaf)
Cleome
Nightshade
Cabbage
Iron mg
8.9
6.0
1.0
0.7
Calcium mg
410
288
442
47
ß carotene
ųg
5716
10452
3660
100
Per 100 gm
Kenya
• Partnered with Family
Concern (NGO) and Uchumi
Supermarkets
• Traditional leafy vegetables
• Seed supply and agronomy
• Training for cleaner, highquality 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
Adaptability
2025
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
perturbation
stability
resistance
ecosystem property
(e.g. production)
Resilience and Stability
resilience
time
Many examples
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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