rio+20 & underutilized species trends, progress and future needs
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Rio+20 & Underutilized Species Trends, progress and future needs . Stefano Padulosi Bioversity International . International Consultation: “20 Years of Rio: Biodiversity, Development, Livelihoods ” M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai, February 15-17, 2012. Objective - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Rio+20 & Underutilized Species Trends, progress and future needs
International Consultation: “20 Years of Rio: Biodiversity, Development, Livelihoods” M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai, February 15-17, 2012
Stefano PadulosiBioversity International
Objective
Reflections on progress on relevant Rio Declaration Principles under the lenses of the sustainable conservation and use of neglected and underutilized species (NUS)
The Great Paradox of Todays’ Agriculture
300,000 100,00030,0007,000120303
Known plant species Used by humankindEdibleUsed as food at local levelImportant at national scaleProvide 90% of plant caloriesProvide 60% (rice, wheat, maize)
niche
Once pillar of sustainability, now thousands of species have become irrelevant in mainstream
Agriculture…
Nutritional value appreciated by people Hardiness, good adaptability, versatility in use Rich associated food culture and traditions
Neglected and Underutilized Species from past popularity…
Poor economic competitiveness with comm. crops Lack of improved vars/ enhanced cultivation practices Drudgery in value addition Disorganized or non-existent market chains Perception of being “food of the poor”
...to current decline!
1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development : 27 Principles
1. The role of humans. 8. Reduction of Unsustainable Patterns of Prod. and Consumption
15. Precautionary principle 22. Ind. Peoples have a Vital Role
2. State sovereignty 9. Capacity Building for Sust. Development
16. Internalization of Environmental Costs
23. People under Oppression
3. The Right to development
10. Public participation 17. Environmental Impact Assessments
24. Warfare
4. Environmental Protection in the Dev. Process
11. National Environmental Legislation
18. Notification of Natural Disaster
25. Peace, Development and Environmental Protection
5. Eradication of Poverty 12. Supportive and Open International Economic System
19. Prior and Timely Notification
26. Resolution of Environmental Disputes
6. Priority for the Least Developed
13. Compensation for Victims of Pollution and other Envir. Damage
20. Women have a Vital Role
27. Cooperation between State and People
7. State Cooperation to Protect Ecosystem
14. State Cooperation to Prevent environmental dumping
21. Youth Mobilization
Principles relevant to NUS
1. The role of humans. 8. Reduction of Unsustainable Patterns of Prod. and Consumption
15. Precautionary principle
22. Ind. Peoples have a Vital Role
2. State sovereignty 9. Capacity Building for Sust. Development
16. Internalization of Environmental Costs
23. People under Oppression
3. The Right to development
10. Public participation 17. Environmental Impact Assessments
24. Warfare
4. Environmental Protection in the Dev. Process
11. National Environmental Legislation
18. Notification of Natural Disaster
25. Peace, Development and Environmental Protection
5. Eradication of Poverty 12. Supportive and Open International Economic System
19. Prior and Timely Notification
26. Resolution of Environmental Disputes
6. Priority for the Least Developed
13. Compensation for Victims of Pollution and other Envir. Damage
20. Women have a Vital Role
27. Cooperation between State and People
7. State Cooperation to Protect Ecosystem
14. State Cooperation to Prevent environmental dumping
21. Youth Mobilization
‘The right to development must be fulfilled so as to equitably meet developmental and environmental needs of
present and future generations’
Argument: NUS are part of large biodiversity portfolio that is until today poorly addressed by R&D. Opportunities for better nutrition, health, incomes and ecosystem health are being missed, undermining those instruments that would allow the realization of this very principle.
Action: international community to give greater recognition to the strategic development role of NUS and lend more support to their use enhancement through a biodiversity-based ever Green revolution.
Principle 3. The Right to development
Ghana: 2,500 useful Kenya: 800 food species
Sahel: 800 edible
Swaziland: 200 edible
India: 2,500 medicinal
North America: 1,112 edible
Mediterranean: 137 vegetables
Malaysia: 800 fruit trees
China: 5,000 medicinal
Peru: 168 home gardens
Example: wealth of species that can be strategic allies in sustainable development
The special situation and needs of developing countries, particularly the least developed and those most environmentally vulnerable, shall be given
special priority. International actions in the field of environment and development should also address the interests and needs of all countries.
Principle 6. Priority for the Least Developed
Argument: biodiversity and especially NUS are strategic for the least developed and vulnerable countries/people. The implementation of this principle has not been taken this dimension into due consideration, continuing to focus on commodity crops only. Global commodities are not the only solution for agricultural development.
Action: Agricultural development needs a paradigm shift to include crops and species that provide multiple advantages to least developed countries.
Example: African leafy vegetables
Per 100 gmAmaranth
(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
Example: Cañihua (Chenopodium pallidicaule): important source of
resistance to frost for Andean countries
• only 20 landraces of cañihua left out of 200
• 85 % farmers planting same landrace
States should cooperate to strengthen endogenous capacity-building for sustainable development by improving scientific understanding through
exchanges of scientific and technological knowledge, and by enhancing the development, adaptation, diffusion and transfer of technologies, including new
and innovative technologies.
Principle 9. Capacity Building for Sustainable Development
Argument: largest gap in research exist with regard to NUS research. Very little has been done towards consistent approach to implement principle as applied to these species.
Action: Capacity building is needed at all levels, from the community to University levels.
Bolivia: drudgery in processing quinoa
Greater efficiency in de-saponification (from 1-4 hrs to just 7 minutes!)
Elimination of drudgery
Example: Capacity Building at University level
Strengthening capacities through strategic alliances with private sector
In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied by States according to their capabilities. Where there
are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective
measures to prevent environmental degradation.
Principle 15. Precautionary principle
Argument: NUS are important part of the agro-ecosystem. Their loss affects millions of farmers who are pushed to abandon them because of low economic competitiveness. This condition affects the agro-ecosystem whose resilience is reduced but it does impact also nutrition security and other livelihood aspects.
Action: Major initiatives to support monitoring, conservation of NUS both in situ and ex situ methods are needed in order to prevent losses to take place.
National Geographic 2011Study conducted in 1983 by the Rural Advancement Foundation International gave a clue to the scope of the problem. It compared USDA listings of seed varieties sold by commercial U.S. seed houses in 1903 with those in the U.S. National Seed Storage Laboratory in 1983. The survey, which included 66 crops, found that about 93 percent of the varieties had gone extinct..
Ex situ conservation: NUS largely under-represented in the world’ s 1740 gene banks (ca 15-20% of 7.4 mil acc.)
2820
1941
590780
145137 98 40 16 15 25 12 4 0 160
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
No. o
f Spe
cies
1
2_5
6_10
11_5
0
51_1
00
101_
200
201_
400
401_
600
601_
800
801_
1000
1001
_200
0
2001
_300
0
3001
_400
0
4001
_500
0
>500
0
Classes (no. of accessions per species)
>80 % of all non-major crop species conserved in ex situ collections (ca 5000/6000) are on average represented by less than 10 accessions..
Map of little millet in Kolli Hills: severe
genetic erosion taking place in spite of appreciation by
people of nutritional and cultural values
Genetic erosion of NUS: minor millets
IFAD-CCAFS funded Project launched in 2011 to develop methodology for community-based agrobiodiversity documentation and monitoring
Participatory Monitoring & Red Lists for cultivated species
What is going on “on farm”?
How much genetic diversity are we losing?
How much of knowledge, culture, traditions is being lost?
What impacts all of this is having on people’ livelihood?
Urgent Questions to Answer:
Biodiversity and Knowledge
Women have a vital role in environmental management and development. Their full participation is therefore essential to
achieve sustainable development.
Principle 20. Women have a Vital Role
Argument: The role of women for the sustainable conservation and use of agrobiodiversity/ NUS until now has not been adequately recognized, valorized and supported.
Action: much more is needed to support such role, including development of enabling policies.
IFAD-NUS Capacity Building Training on Value Addition at Home Sciences College, UAS, Bangalore
NUS: ample scope for contributing towards the empowerment of women
Indigenous people and their communities and other local communities have a vital role in environmental management and development because of their knowledge and traditional practices. States should recognize and duly support their identity, culture and interests and enable their effective
participation in the achievement of sustainable development.
Principle 22. Indigenous Peoples have a Vital Role
Argument: with regard to NUS such as role is essential. Although recognition has emerged, this must be followed by concrete interventions to mobilize precious knowledge and practices for sustainable community development. NUS are disappearing and so is also the unique wealth of culture associated to them.
Action: need to rescue, document, valorize IK and practices.
Bioversity’s descriptor list for date palm (above) and the one (left) developed by Mr Ben Said in Arabic and in his local
language (“Tamazight”): precious documentation of classification of date palm diversity by farmers in North Africa.
Example: relevance of IK for agrobiodiversity
Wth regard to NUS this is highly strategic to:
Valorization/ use enhancement Reintroduction of diversity Self esteem/ identity Agri-tourism efforts
Safeguarding the Indigenous Knowledge associated to target crops
Conclusions
1. 1992 Rio Declaration: several Principles relevant to use enhancement of NUS to support sustainable development, particularly in least developed areas
2. Change of paradigm: shifting to one-size-fits-all approach to a diversity of solutions tailored to local conditions- NUS are part of this new paradigm needed
3. NUS for the future: recommending special mention of NUS in our renovated commitment to Rio+
4. Capacity building: from communities to Universities5. Role of women: NUS instruments of empowerment6. Policy change: need for enabling policies
Thank you!!