Transcript View /
Agrobiodiversity and Food Security: Governance Perspective International Conference on Agricultural Governance Dec 19, 2014, Hyderabad Prof. Arjula R. Reddy Emeritus Professor, University of Hyderabad, and Founder Vice Chancellor Yogi Vemana University, A.P Agriculture is changing fast and has to face challenges from: •Climate changes •Dwindling water resources •Dynamic Market behaviour, particularly global •Decline in soil health •Rapidly changing Social structure and behaviour •Governance/Policy interventions •Agroecological systems damage •Dramatic changes in Human attitude towards food and Agriculture • Rapidly evolving pests and pathogens •Restricted germ plasm transfer across nations and IPRs ----- Agrobiodiversity is the singular resource for meeting those challenges Agrobiodiversity Biodiversity related to food and agriculture “The variety and variability amongst living organisms that are important to food and agriculture and broadly associated with cultivating crops, animal husbandry and ecological complexes of which they form part” Visser and Nap, 2010 Cereals , millets Fruits and vegetables Agrobiodiversity: Agrobiodiversity is all of the components of biological diversity relevant to food and agriculture, including agricultural ecosystems. It therefore encompasses the variety and variability of animals, plants and microorganisms at the genetic, species and ecosystem levels that are necessary to sustain agricultural production ----- -----Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD) Agrobiodiversity Genetic resources Domesticated Cultivated sp.. Wild plants, Landraces Indigenous livestock Microbes Native tree germplasm Ecological services Beneficial organisms Control of Pests, Pathogens Provide nutrients, medicines, Crop pollinators Prevent soil erosion, Stabilization of water balance Food security • In May 2007, at the 33rd Session of the Committee on World Food Security, FAO issued a statement to reaffirm its vision of a food-secure world: • “FAO’s vision of a world without hunger is one in which most people are able, by themselves, to obtain the food they need for an active and healthy life, and where social safety nets ensure that those who lack resources still get enough to eat.” (FAO, 2007f) Agrobiodiversity Agrobiodiversiity Food Security Agrobiodiversity • • • • • • • • • Domesticated crops Monocultures ---Green Revolution Varieties Varietal mixtures Land races Dual purpose crops Hybrids, Transgenics, Mutation breeding products Rice, Maize, Wheat: several fold increase Crop biodiversity: Man made disaster impacting agrobiodiversity •150 crops are grown on a global scale • From about 7000 crop species, mostly for the lively hood of poor in many countries to about 15 species •Majority of humans live on 12 species • China :10,000 wheat varieties in 1949 to 1000 by the yr 2000 • Agrobiodiversity is declining rapidly • Sustainability of Agriculture depends on Agrobiodiversity Crop biodiversity free fall: Danger signal Plant Species Purpose --------------------------------------------------------------250,000 Identified as higher plant species 7000 Cultivated plant species 150 Grown commercially 30 Feeding the world 12 75% of food 4 50% of food we eat ----------------------------------------------------------------- Crop biodiversity decline : Man made disaster • 90% of our energy and protein comes from 15 plant species • Rice, wheat and maize provide 60% of our calories, 50% protein • Less than 20% of the crop species provide most of our food • Sustainability of Agriculture depends on Agrobiodiversity Loss of agricultural biodiversity, and of biodiversity in wild land ecosystems •Population growth, •Changes in food demand, •Conversion to modern, high-input agriculture, •Land use changes, •Over use of a few species and varieties and underutilization of land races and locals •Globalisation of agricultural markets Agrobiodiversity: Use or Loose!!! Half of key wild crops missing from gene banks! Production, Productivity Productivity enhancement is mainly based on narrow crop genetic base and crop uniformity( hybrids and elites) Agrobiodiversity (Intraspecies and interspecies diversity) Monoculture GMOs Varieties Hybrids Varietal Elites Mixtures, Wild species, land races, primitives Natural outcrosses GEOs? Food security • In May 2007, at the 33rd Session of the Committee on World Food Security, FAO issued a statement to reaffirm its vision of a food-secure world: • “FAO’s vision of a world without hunger is one in which most people are able, by themselves, to obtain the food they need for an active and healthy life, and where social safety nets ensure that those who lack resources still get enough to eat.” (FAO, 2007f) Agrobiodiversity Agrobiodiversiity Food Security The Challenge •The future agriculture must produce larger yields from a smaller area of land and with fewer inputs under fast changing climate Modified from the Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change 2011 Finding Solution •Development and Sustainable use of rich Agrobiodiversity Food Security •7 Billion world population •Yield gaps in food crops •Productivity challenges •Climate change •Loss and Underexploitation of Genetic Diversity •Limited cultivable Land and fresh water “Hunger, the greatest of all violence” Mahatma Gandhi Food Security/insecurity Hunger amidst plenty Norman Borlaug Nobel Laureate (peace) “Never think for a minute that we are going to build permanent peace in this world on empty stomachs and human misery. It won't happen, and the sooner our leaders at all levels of society reflect on that, the better.” 2006 USA National Medal of Science India: Prevalence of undernutrition India: Per capita food supply Prevalence [%] 1999- 2004- 200701 06 09 Under nutriti on 21 21 19 Quantity [kcal/capita/day] 1996 2010-12 18 Source: ESS, FAO of the UN, Accessed on October 9, 2012. http://www.fao.org/economic/ess/essfs/ess-fadata/en/ Food Su pply 2343 2001 2331 2006 2331 2011 2459 Source: FAOSTAT, FAO of the UN, Accessed on May 26, 2014. http://faostat.fao.org/site/368/default.asp x#anc “Agricultural landscapes are part of our natural capital, and the flow of services that they provide is the ‘interest’ on that capital” •Governance of ABD needs to be inclusive and focus on important dimensions of ABD: •Genes, Species, Communities, and Ecosystems • to maintain the flow of ecosystem services over a range of environmental and social risks. ------A mix of Regulatory and Developmental Governance • Science, at present, is not in a position to offer precise and adequate support to decision makers, because it has not yet critically addressed the tradeoffs between elements of complex agricultural landscapes: • Food production, • Biodiversity conservation, • Ecosystem services, • Human well being in • More importantly, does not accurately account for the large and dynamic variation in biophysical and socio-economic conditions under which agriculture is practiced Policy perspectives • Land Policy: Permit/limit sale/use of large chunks of land to producers for the purpose of non-sustainable use( energy cropping, monoculture etc) • Formal recognition and release framework for traditional varieties, mixtures and indigenous livestock breeds to prevent the erosion of ABD ( ex: Exotic x Local F1) • Legislation to enforce laws: seed sales, seed purity, product type, identity and input quality • Pollution control regime to regulate chemicals • Regulate indiscriminate use of agrochemicals damaging ecosystem • Land and water rights to indigenous people/ tribals /resource poor farmers( major players in ABD conservation • Subsidize certain production practices and discouraging others: sustainable intensification of agriculture • Subsidize/support through policy the cultivation of land races, traditional varieties, varietal mixtures without loosing track on production levels • A robust, knowledge based extension system with real farmer participation • Public –private participation ABD( win-win situation)