Biodiversity in the shopping basket:

policies to sustain a biodiverse diet Danny Hunter, Senior Scientist, Bioversity International 6th May 2015

Global malnutrition

Shrinking diversity

Source: FAO 1997

Feeding the world with biodiversity

Bioversity International is a

global research-for-

development organization.

We have a vision – that

agricultural biodiversity

nourishes people and sustains the planet.

Putting diverse nutritious foods back in the

shopping basket

Through:

• More understanding and

knowledge of biodiversity’s

benefits

• Consumer demand

• Enabling policies

• Diverse production, sustainable

food systems, value-chains and

markets

Biodiversity for food and nutrition initiative

Brazil

1 in 3 children

aged between 5 &

9 are overweight

70 species of leafy vegetables

Sri Lanka

1 in 3 children aged between 5

& 9 are overweight

20 Native root & tuber crops,

bananas, rice varieties, leafy vegetables & fruits

Turkey

31% population

overweight

43 species of local

wild edible plant species

Kenya

1/3 of population food

insecure

20 Native leafy

vegetables, sorghum,

millets, nuts, fruits, livestock

Biodiversity for food and nutrition initiative

Inform public policies on

food & nutrition

• Food composition data

for >150 species of

nutritional importance

Raising awareness &

consumer demand for

traditional varieties

• Food fairs, gastronomy

workshops, school

programmes

• Food markets

Minor millets in India

Nutritious & drought resistant millets once

part of traditional diets

Working with partners for 15 years to

promote millet use resulting in:

• 2013 India’s food security act adds

millets into public distribution system

• Millets on menu in restaurants, sold on

streets

• Inclusion of millets in school lunches in

12 districts in Central & Southern India

African leafy vegetables in Kenya

Nutritious traditional African leafy

vegetables disappearing from farmers’

field and people’s menus

8 year initiative in Kenya with partners:

• 12 nutritious species introduced into formal market

• 450 farmers (mainly women) trained on cultivation

• Increased income, increased dietary diversity & economic

empowerment of women

Rediscovering rucola in Italy

• Nutritious green leafy vegetable growing wild in southern

Mediterranean

• Fallen off menus as diets and tastes move towards modern

processed grains and cereals - considered a weed

• Yet high in essential vitamins & minerals, low in calories

• Promotion of its health benefits and rich cultural history, and

improvements to cultivation, brought this ‘forgotten crop’ back

to the table (and pizza!)

Italy and its sustainable food culture

• Local, daily markets provide access to fresh,

seasonal and local food

• Tradition of fresh and seasonal recipes

• Mediterranean diet, whole of diet

approach

• Slow Food

Urban Food Policy Pact - Milan

• Milan Municipal Initiative government as part of

EXPO 2015 activities

• Bring together mayors and heads of local

governments from around the world to commit to

improve food governance within their cities and

the surrounding rural areas

• Ensure new approaches to food system planning

and governance recognize vital role of biodiversity

in the food system

• 36 cities around the world signed and many more

joining every day

Concluding remarks

• Biodiversity is essential for sustainable food systems and

healthy, nutrient rich diets

• Biodiversity is key to achievement of the SDGs and reshaping

our global food system - ‘Business as usual’ no longer an

option

• Biodiversity is a ‘win-win’ scenario – improves resilience,

adaptation, livelihoods (women), reduces food loss and

waste…

• Biodiversity stewardship and sustainable use requires that

Governments create an enabling environment

Thank you