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!!