underutilized plant species and poverty alleviation · moringa and other highly nutritious plant...

Environment, Natural Resources and Food

Underutilized Plant Speciesand Poverty AlleviationInternational Workshop, 6–8 May 2003

Moringa and other highly nutritious plant resources: Strategies, standards andmarkets for a better impact on nutrition in Africa. Accra, Ghana, November 16-18, 2006

3

Contents

Acknowledgement IV

Summary V

Introduction 1Background 1Objectives and focus of the workshop 3Workshop process 4

Workshop Outputs 7Definition of underutilized plant species 7Approaches used for promotion 8Contributions of underutilized plant species to poverty alleviation 13Strategic elements for the promotion and sustainable utilization of underutilized plant species 21

Workshop Conclusions and Outlook 30Conclusions 30Actions required and potential actors 33Future actions of the global facilitation unit 37

Appendix 1 – Statements from the High Table 41

Acronyms 48

International Workshop on Underutilized Plant SpeciesNew City Hall, Leipzig, Federal Republic of Germany, 6 - 8 May, 2003

Senior Project Manager: Ms. Barbara KrauseWorkshop moderation: Dr. Sabine Gündel

InWEnt Capacity Building International, GermanyDivision Natural Resources and Biodiversity in Leipzig-ZschortauLeipziger Strasse 1504509 Zschortau/Germany

phone: +49(0)342 02– 8457-00fax: +49(0)342 02– 8457-77email: [email protected]

Proceedings

Edited by Sabine Gündel, Irmgard Höschle-Zeledon, Barbara Krause and Kirsten Probst

Concept & Design: EYES-OPEN, BerlinCover Photo: IPGRI

Leipzig/Germany 2003


5

SummaryThe International Workshop on Underutilized Plant Species was carried outby Capacity Building International (InWEnt), commissioned by the GermanMinistry of Economic Co-operation and Development (BMZ) and jointlyorganized with the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and theGlobal Facilitation Unit for Underutilized Species (GFU) with financial supportfrom the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and theTechnical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation (CTA).

The objectives of the workshop were to identify strategic elements for thepromotion and sustainable utilization of underutilized plant species and torecommend next steps and potential actors for implementation.

Professionals came together from more than 30 countries and various back-grounds to discuss future possibilities for enhancing the use of underutilizedplant species to improve the livelihoods of poor people. The workshop, therefore,had a clear development mission and the focus was on underutilized plantspecies within pro-poor development. This is reflected in the issues discussedand the aspects covered during the workshop.

Food security and health: many underutilized plant species arenutritionally rich, they contribute to combat hidden hunger,have a direct impact on well-being and health, and are accessibleresources for the urban and rural poor.

Income generation and local economies: there is a generalgrowing consumer demand for product diversity, which may offernew market opportunities and create employment at various levels.This contributes to the diversification of livelihood opportunitiesfor poor people, especially vulnerable groups.

Non-material benefits: the cultural identity of local communitiesis strongly related to the use of many traditional plant species and available indigenous knowledge. This represents an importantasset for those local communities and society in general.

4

AcknowledgementThis synthesis report is based on the outputs of an International Workshopon Underutilized Plant Species that was carried out by Capacity BuildingInternational (InWEnt), commissioned by the German Ministry of EconomicCo-operation and Development (BMZ), and jointly organized by the GermanAgency for Technical Co-operation (GTZ) and the Global Facilitation Unit forUnderutilized Species (GFU).

First of all we would like to thank the German Federal Ministry for EconomicCo-operation and Development (BMZ), the International Fund for AgriculturalDevelopment (IFAD) and the Technical Centre for Agricultural and RuralCo-operation (CTA) for their financial support.

Furthermore, we would like to thank all the participants for their motivation andinvolvement, which they demonstrated during the three days of the workshop.Based on their discussions and expertise, we were able to develop the presentdocument, which aims at synthesizing the main outcomes of the workshop.


1

IntroductionBackground

The International Workshop on Underutilized Plant Species was carried out byCapacity Building International (InWEnt), commissioned by the German Ministryof Economic Co-operation and Development (BMZ) and jointly organized by theGerman Agency for Technical Co-operation (GTZ) and the Global Facilitation Unit for Underutilized Species (GFU) with financial support from the Interna-tional Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Technical Centre forAgricultural and Rural Co-operation (CTA).

The groundwork for this workshop was laid 7 years ago in June 1996, also inLeipzig, during the FAO-convened Fourth International Technical Conference onPlant Genetic Resources, where 150 countries formally adopted the Global Planof Action for the Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Plant GeneticResources for Food and Agriculture (GPA). The Conference also adopted theLeipzig Declaration, which focuses attention on the importance of plant geneticresources for world food security and commits countries to implementing theGPA. The GPA is intended to be a framework, guide and catalyst for action atcommunity, national, regional and international levels. It aims at creating anefficient system for the conservation and sustainable use of plant geneticresources through better co-operation, co-ordination, planning and capacitystrengthening. It makes an essential contribution to the successful implemen-tation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The GPA pays specialattention to:

the conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture as the basis of food securitythe sustainable utilization of plant genetic resources to foster development and to reduce hunger and poverty.

The latter point includes a large number of plant species, which are importantfor household food security while also having potential for wider use and whichcould contribute to agricultural diversification and income generation. Therelevance of these so-called underutilized species to food security and poverty

6

Biodiversity and environmental services: underutilized plantspecies contribute to agro-ecosystem stability and, therefore,mitigate the effects of environmental changes. They are oftenadapated to marginal conditions.

This document is a synthesis report of the workshop aiming to inform a wideraudience working on the promotion and development of underutilized plantspecies. The report starts with a brief overview of the workshop objectives andprocess. It then focuses on the main workshop outcomes based on the workinggroup activities and presents the conclusions for future action.

The participants identified eight main intervention areas for the promotion andsustainable utilization of underutilized plant species. It is important to stressthat the main intervention areas do not target underutilized plant species atplant genetic resource level. They mainly address policy issues (especiallybenefit-sharing and intellectual property rights legislation), information mana-gement and capacity building issues as well as awareness creation, lobbying and marketing. An important conclusion from the workshop is that underuti-lized plant species need to be mainstreamed in ongoing research and develop-ment initiatives in order to become more visible and attract more attention. Ingeneral, strategic elements for promotion should build on existing strengths ofunderutilized plant species and target identified opportunities. They are,therefore, context-specific and require detailed analysis.

All the papers presented during the workshop are on the enclosed CD.


3

Objectives and focus of the workshop

The objectives of this workshop were to identify strategic elements for thepromotion and sustainable utilization of underutilized plant species and torecommend next steps and potential actors for implementation.

Although the immediate concern regarding underutilized species revolves aroundidentifying the germplasm and preserving this material in gene banks (andthrough in situ conservation), sight of the ultimate goal should not be lost,namely to exploit in a sustainable manner their potential for contributing to the reduction of food problems, both in terms of quantity and quality, and toalleviate poverty. Conservation of these species for the future of humankind,although a laudable objective, holds little attraction to those who need tosurvive and develop. Conservation becomes attractive when there are tangiblebenefits to be derived from its sustainable exploitation.

The workshop, therefore, tackled issues along the entire chain from the geneticresources to the consumers, who may be local people collecting or plantingthese species or more remote consumers where these species are marketed and commercialized. The workshop aimed to cover nutrition and health issues,cultural implications, economic and development aspects as well as environ-mental issues, hence, it gathered participants from a range of different sectors.

The participants came together to discuss the future possibilities for enhancingthe use of underutilized plant species in improving the livelihoods of poorpeople. The workshop, therefore, had a clear development mission and the focus was on underutilized plant species within pro-poor development. This isreflected in the issues discussed and the aspects covered during the event.

The workshop focused particularly on four areas to which underutilized plantspecies can make valuable contributions.

Food security and health: many of the underutilized plantspecies are nutritionally rich, can contribute to combat hiddenhunger, have a direct impact on well-being and health, and are accessible resources for the urban and rural poor.

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alleviation is increasingly being recognized by researchers, policy-makers anddevelopment specialists. This is also reflected in the GPA, where they areaddressed through priority activity no. 12 – “promoting the development ofunderutilized crops and species”. This activity aims at:

identifying underutilized species developing sustainable management practicesdeveloping post-harvest and marketing methods promoting policies for the development and useof underutilized species.

Another milestone on the way to this workshop was the first Global Forum onAgricultural Research (GFAR) in May 2000, also held in Germany, in Dresden. Aworking group recommended the involvement of GFAR in future activities onunderutilized species to give these valuable resources the international attentionthey deserve from all GFAR constituencies. The establishment of a globalfacilitation unit to support and facilitate the work that is done by the variousstakeholders was also strongly encouraged.

Given the importance and the potential these species have for improving foodsecurity, particularly in developing countries, BMZ decided during the DresdenForum to provide funds for research and development activities and to sponsoran international workshop on the topic. At a later stage, it committed itself tofinancing the initial costs for the establishment of the Global Facilitation Unitfor Underutilized Species (GFU), which started operating one year ago under theumbrella of the GFAR. However, BMZ’s involvement in promoting and popula-rizing underutilized species dates back even further. During 1996 and 1997, aseries of over 20 monographs on selected underutilized species was publishedjointly by the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) and theInstitute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) in Gatersleben,Germany, with financial support from BMZ.


5

the strengths and weaknesses and the key elements of thedifferent approaches presented and known from own experience.

On the second day, the contribution of underutilized plant species to povertyalleviation was at the forefront of discussions. Four plenary presentations setthe scene for the working groups.

The role of underutilized plant species with regard to increasedfood security and improved health of poor people was presentedby Mario Tapia (IIAP).Denzil Phillips’ presentation focused on the contribution ofunderutilized plant species to income generation and localeconomies.The value of the non-material benefits of underutilized plantspecies to the livelihoods of the poor was presented by PabloEyzaguirre (IPGRI).Jeff McNeely from IUCN focused on the importance of underutilized plant species for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

These four key topics were analyzed in more detail during the afternoon, wherefour working groups discussed useful clusters of underutilized plant species. ASWOT-analysis was used to further explore the strengths and weaknesses ofunderutilized plant species for contributing to these key areas and to understandbetter the existing opportunities for, and threats to their promotion.

Only by identifying the weaknesses and threats will we be able to understandwhy these plant species have remained underutilized. A better understanding oftheir strengths and opportunities will enable us to develop successful strategiesto enhance their contributions for the benefit of the poor and to promote theirsustainable utilization.

During the third day, participants looked at strategic elements and next stepsfor the promotion and sustainable utilization of underutilized plant species,consolidating the findings of the working groups. The workshop ended withstatements from a high table, where representatives of different organizations

4

Income generation and local economies: there is a generalgro wing consumer demand for product diversity, which may offer new market opportunities and create employment at various levels. This contributes to the diversification of livelihood opportunities for poor people, especially vulnerable groups.Non-material benefits: the cultural identity of local communi-ties is strongly related to the use of many traditional plantspecies and available indigenous knowledge. This represents an important asset for those local communities and society in general. Biodiversity and environmental services: underutilized plant species contribute to agro-ecosystem stability and, therefore, mitigate the effects of environmental changes. They are often adapted to marginal conditions.

Workshop processProfessionals from more than 30 countries attended the International Workshopon Underutilized Plant Species in Leipzig and shared their knowledge andexpertise (a list of participants is on the CD).

The first day intended to update all participants on past and current work onunderutilized plant species, existing terms to characterize these species andapproaches employed for their promotion.

An overview of past and ongoing initiatives with respect to thepromotion and sustainable utilization of underutilized plant specieswas presented by Nazmul Haq from ICUC.This was followed by a presentation from Stefano Padulosi (IPGRI)who shared with the participants definitions and concepts ofunderutilized plant species.The first thematic session consisted of two presentations focusingon the approaches used for the promotion and sustainableutilization of underutilized plant species. A more theoreticalframework was provided by Susan Kaaria (CIAT), followed by a casestudy from Cameroon by Dominic Fontem (University of Dschang).During the afternoon, four working groups analyzed in more detail


7

Workshop outputsDefinition of underutilized plant species

A wide range of terms are used for underutilised plant species, which includeminor, neglected, local, traditional, underexploited, underdeveloped, orphan, lost,new, niche, promising and alternative (Padulosi1). Each of these terms suggestsa certain perspective with regard to underutilization, which is not always veryclear. For example, minor species are minor in relation to what: volume/acreageof crop or value of traded product? New species are new in relation to what: interms of geographical focus (country, region, agro-ecological system) or time?Other terms seem to carry a negative connotation within a certain culturalcontext, such as neglected or orphan. Others again are not explicit enough interms of the potential of these species. For example, lost species places theemphasis on historic/cultural aspects rather than on current benefits that couldbe generated. Most accepted and most frequently used in the research anddevelopment (R&D) community is the term underutilized, which was alsoadopted during the workshop, bearing in mind the limitations of this term. Weshould be aware that within the poor farming communities around the world,which depend on these species for their survival, they are often neither neglectednor underutilized.

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provided feedback on the conclusions and recommendations made by theworkshop participants. The detailed workshop programme can be found on theenclosed CD.

1Refer to the CD for full paper of this presentation.

Table 1 Advantages and disadvantages of the term ‘underutilized plant species’

Advantages

• Best captures the concept of economicpotential and other livelihood-relatedbenefits

• Not linked to a particular geographicalarea

• Not limited necessarily to a specificmarket niche

• Generally accepted by all cultural groups• Most widely used

Disadvantages

• Some confusion on boundary of term: areless used varieties of major crops alsoincluded?

• Do not carry a visible message on loss ofdiversity and indigenous knowledge andpoor attention by R&D

• Issue of ‘underutilized threshold’

UPSPoverty

Food insecurity

SUPS Reduced poverty Increased food

security

Threats

Weaknesses

Opportunities

Strengths

Food security

Biodiversity environment

Income

Non-material benefits

Promoti

on app

roache

s

Strate

gic

element

s/acto

rs

Figure 1 Rationale of workshop process

UPS = Underutilized plant species

SUPS = Sustainable utilization of plant species


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development of local capacity for rural innovation (see paperpresented by Kaaria).The integrated natural resource management approach orecosystems approach focuses on the relationship of species withinthe overall ecosystem and reflects the recommendations of theCBD. It often adopts a regional perspective and promotescollaboration between farmers using a participatory approach.The high-level influence on policy approach recognizes thatunderutilized plant species are a public good, so policies arerequired to obtain the commitment of governments for thesustainable utilization of underutilized plant species, for equitablebenefit-sharing, allocation of research funds, etc.Participation and rights approaches focus on the involvement oflocal people who manage underutilized plant species andemphasize the importance of property rights based on farmers’plant registers and indigenous knowledge.Culture-based approaches build on traditional and socialnetworks within the community.

Table 2 summarizes the main approaches. It provides information on theirobjectives, the underlying assumptions and perspectives on why underutilizedplant species are underutilized, and the future potential/function of under-utilized plant species from the different perspectives.

Comparison of the different approaches shows marked differences in theirparticular objectives and perspectives with regard to the future contributions of underutilized plant species to poverty reduction. The approaches have theirindividual strengths and weaknesses, which suggests that no single approachcan be successful: a combination of different approaches will be required,depending on the objective of the promotion, the type of species and therespective intervention context.

During the workshop, the participants established the following key character-istics required within an approach to successfully target and benefit poor peoplein the promotion of underutilized plant species and to minimize the identifiedrisks and weaknesses (sea Table 2):

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The participants also agreed on a working definition of underutilized plantspecies, which was adopted throughout the workshop. However, it is importantto stress that there were different opinions on the definition. Particular areas of controversy were the range of species to be included (e.g. traditional varietiesof major crops, which remain underutilized) and the level of utilization to becharacterized as underutilized. Clarification of these issues was beyond thescope of the workshop.

The agreed working definition for the duration of the workshop was:“underutilized plant species are those with a potential, not fullyexploited, to contribute to food security and poverty alleviation.Promotion of their use should be done in a sustainable fashion”.

Approaches used for promotionDifferent approaches exist for the promotion of underutilized plant species.These approaches use different entry points, ranging from a focus on plantgenetic resource to policy and legislation. Most of the past activities on thepromotion of underutilized plant species have either focused on aspects atplant genetic resource level, such as plant characterization, selection and im-provement, or on marketing aspects. During the workshop, a range of differentapproaches for the promotion of underutilized plant species were identified.

The commodity chain approach strongly emphasizes the‘underutilized’ market potential and often focuses on one specificcommodity with high potential value. This might contribute to theconservation of a particular species by creating strong marketopportunities. On the other hand, it might lead to overexploitation(particularly in the case of wild plants), or an underutilized plantspecies might become a commodity and drive out other species(see paper presented by Kaaria).The livelihoods approach defines ‘underutilized’ in terms of widerlivelihood functions and stresses the importance of building on the existing assets of the poor (see paper presented by Kaaria).The resource-to-consumption approach highlights the genderconcerns, sustainable natural resource management and the


1110Ta

ble

2 Ap

proa

ches

to

the

prom

otio

n of

und

erut

ilize

d pl

ant

spec

ies

Obj

ectiv

es

Assu

mpt

ions

abo

utth

e re

ason

s fo

run

deru

tiliz

atio

n of

UPS

Com

mod

ity/v

alue

cha

in

Addi

ng v

alue

to

unde

rutil

ized

plan

t sp

ecie

s (U

PS):

(i)to

incr

ease

inco

me

(and

th

ereb

y re

duce

pov

erty

)(ii

)to

incr

ease

the

ince

ntiv

eto

mai

ntai

n th

ese

plan

tsp

ecie

s

UPS

are

und

erut

ilize

d by

indu

stry

bec

ause

the

y ar

eun

know

n, u

nwan

ted/

disl

iked

,ra

re/d

iffic

ult

to g

row

, ille

gal,

unst

able

sup

ply

sour

ce, t

ooex

pens

ive

to p

roce

ss o

r to

tran

spor

t, to

o da

nger

ous,

too

polit

ical

, etc

. (Ph

illip

s)

Live

lihoo

d ap

proa

ch/

reso

urce

-to-

cons

umpt

ion

Enha

nce

the

use

of U

PS f

orw

ider

live

lihoo

d fu

nctio

ns a

ndto

incr

ease

loca

l peo

ples

capa

city

to

conf

ront

and

min

imiz

e ris

ks

UPS

may

be

unde

rutil

ized

due

to li

mite

d ac

cess

,re

plac

emen

t/do

min

atio

n by

othe

r pl

ants

, etc

., or

the

irpo

tent

ial u

se is

not

yet

ful

lykn

own/

expl

oite

d by

loca

lpe

ople

Ecos

yste

m/in

tegr

ated

nat

ural

reso

urce

man

agem

ent

Mai

ntai

n bi

odiv

ersi

ty t

o se

cure

wel

l-be

ing

in t

he lo

ng t

erm

(incl

udin

g th

e ca

paci

ty t

oad

apt

to c

hang

es in

clim

ate,

hum

an p

refe

renc

es, e

tc.)

Ecos

yste

m s

ervi

ces

are

asim

port

ant

as e

cosy

stem

prod

ucts

for

hum

anki

nd

Man

y pl

ant

spec

ies

are

over

utili

zed

rath

er t

han

unde

rutil

ized

(esp

ecia

lly w

ildsp

ecie

s)

Use

is o

ften

not

sus

tain

able

Cultu

ral a

ppro

ach

(co-

evol

utio

n)

Mai

ntai

n cu

ltura

l div

ersi

tyan

d va

lues

as

a w

ay o

fm

aint

aini

ng g

enet

icdi

vers

ity (m

aint

aini

ngev

olut

iona

ry p

roce

sses

)

Empo

wer

loca

l peo

ple

and

thei

r so

cial

net

wor

ks(in

depe

nden

ce)

Loss

of

know

ledg

e an

dcu

ltura

l ide

ntity

dire

ctly

affe

cts

gene

tic d

iver

sity

and

utili

zatio

n of

UPS

Und

erut

iliza

tion

prim

arily

occu

rs b

ecau

se o

f ch

ange

sin

cul

ture

/life

styl

e

Und

erly

ing

pers

pect

ive

Role

/fun

ctio

ns o

f U

PS

Key

stre

ngth

s of

appr

oach

es

Focu

s on

mar

ket

pote

ntia

l/pro

duct

s

Focu

s on

eco

nom

ic p

oten

tial/

mon

etar

y va

lue,

qua

lity,

etc.

Resp

ond

to m

arke

t de

man

d,pr

ovid

e in

com

e to

var

ious

stak

ehol

ders

alo

ng t

heco

mm

odity

cha

in

Addi

ng v

alue

to

UPS

and

cre

atin

gin

cent

ives

to

furt

her

prom

ote

thei

r us

e

Brin

gs in

com

e fo

r cu

ltura

lin

vest

men

t

Lead

s to

inte

rcul

tura

l app

reci

atio

n

Empo

wer

loca

l peo

ple

and

build

on

exis

ting

reso

urce

s(in

depe

nden

ce)

UPS

are

an

impo

rtan

t as

set

for

dive

rsifi

ed li

velih

ood

stra

tegi

es

Impo

rtan

ce o

f m

ultip

le u

ses

of U

PS t

o fu

lfil d

iver

seliv

elih

ood

func

tions

Prom

otes

live

lihoo

d op

tions

for

vuln

erab

le g

roup

s by

build

ing

on e

xist

ing

reso

urce

s

Co-e

volu

tiona

ry p

ersp

ectiv

e

Lack

of

cultu

ral i

dent

ity a

son

e as

pect

of

pove

rty

Impo

rtan

ce o

f fo

od c

ultu

re,

spiri

tual

and

rel

igio

us u

ses

Impo

rtan

ce o

f m

ultip

le u

ses

Rein

forc

es c

ultu

res

and

cons

erve

s an

d pa

sses

on

valu

es a

ndid

entit

y/in

dige

nous

know

ledg

e

Rela

tions

hip

betw

een

plan

tsan

d di

ffer

ent

orga

nism

s

Plan

ts h

ave

othe

r w

ider

func

tions

tha

n di

rect

use

valu

es

Impo

rtan

ce o

f lo

cal e

ndem

ican

d w

ild s

peci

es, e

ndan

gere

dsp

ecie

s (C

ITES

)

Reco

gniz

es t

he li

nks

and

rela

tions

hips

bet

wee

n pl

ant

spec

ies

and

the

wid

eren

viro

nmen

t


13

recognition of underutilized plant species as public goods to ensure the continued availability and accessibility of the plantgenetic resources to present and future generationsfair and equitable sharing of benefits derived from the use of under-utilized plant species for sustainable agriculture and food securitystrengthening the capacity of marginalized people in negotiationswith the private sector and governmentaccess to information for all stakeholders to ensure equal positioning in decision-makingparticipatory and multi-stakeholder-oriented approaches to providefor inclusion and consideration of different interests and needs.

The consideration of such characteristics within a promotion approach will helpto achieve social acceptability, cultural empowerment and self-determination.

These points (though probably far from complete) provide a useful checklist tomonitor and evaluate ongoing and past initiatives in order to assess theappropriateness of the approaches used and to guide future initiatives in theselection of pro-poor promotion approaches.

Contributions of underutilized plant speciesto poverty alleviationThe overall objective of promoting underutilized plant species is to reducepoverty and to achieve the sustainable use of a wide range of plant species.Underutilized plant species can make a contribution to poverty alleviation infour major areas: food security and health, income generation, non-materialbenefits and biodiversity and environmental services.2

Underutilized plant species represent an enormous range of different plants withdifferent attributes and potential to contribute to poverty alleviation. Whereassome of them are more important for food security, others will have a greaterpotential for income generation, for non-material benefits or for environmentalservices relevant to the poor.

12Ta

ble

2 co

nt.

Risk

s/ke

y w

eakn

esse

sof

app

roac

hes

Com

mod

ity/v

alue

cha

in

Loss

of

iden

tity

of o

rigin

onc

eva

lue

addi

ng a

nd m

arke

ting

are

esta

blis

hed

Nar

row

ing

gene

tic b

ase

(whe

re d

omes

ticat

ion

and

sam

e qu

ality

is n

eede

d)

Non

-sus

tain

able

use

of

the

ecos

yste

m; m

arke

t tr

ends

and

fash

ions

can

cha

nge

Loss

of

indi

geno

us k

now

ledg

e

Sim

plifi

catio

n of

use

s

Risk

of

over

expl

oita

tion

Nar

row

ing

of g

enet

ic d

iver

sity

thro

ugh

rest

rictio

n to

few

spec

ies

Live

lihoo

d ap

proa

ch/

reso

urce

-to-

cons

umpt

ion

Dang

er o

f ta

king

pla

ce in

is

olat

ion

with

out

invo

lvem

ent

at p

olic

y le

vel

Ecos

yste

m/in

tegr

ated

nat

ural

reso

urce

man

agem

ent

Oft

en t

oo c

onse

rvat

ion

orie

nted

, neg

lect

ing

loca

lpe

ople

s ne

eds

Cultu

ral a

ppro

ach

(co-

evol

utio

n)

Diff

icul

t to

pro

mot

e in

is

olat

ion,

as

econ

omic

ince

ntiv

es a

re v

ery

pow

erfu

l

Cultu

rally

bou

nded

2For further information on these contributions refer to the plenary papers prepared byTapia, Phillip, Eyzaguirre and McNeely on the CD.


1514Ta

ble

3 Co

ntrib

utio

ns o

f un

deru

tiliz

ed p

lant

spe

cies

to

pove

rty

alle

viat

ion

and

thei

r pr

omot

ion

Obj

ectiv

es o

fpr

omot

ion

Gro

ups

of U

PS w

ithke

y co

mm

onch

arac

teris

tics

Food

sec

urity

and

hea

lth

Poor

peo

ple

have

per

man

ent

acce

ss t

o su

ffic

ient

foo

d of

adeq

uate

qua

lity,

that

isso

cial

ly a

nd c

ultu

rally

acce

ptab

le, f

or a

n ac

tive

and

heal

thy

life

Adap

tabi

lity

to d

iffer

ent

agro

-eco

logi

cal z

ones

Leve

l of

skill

s an

d kn

owle

dge

avai

labl

e am

ong

diff

eren

tst

akeh

olde

rs r

elat

ed t

o th

em

anag

emen

t an

d ut

iliza

tion

of U

PS (e

.g. n

o sk

ills

and

know

ledg

e av

aila

ble,

low

leve

lof

ski

lls a

nd k

now

ledg

eav

aila

ble,

etc

.)

Inco

me

gene

ratio

n

UPS

are

use

d to

gen

erat

e ca

shec

onom

ic b

enef

its t

o po

orpe

ople

(esp

ecia

lly v

ulne

rabl

egr

oups

) in

the

form

of

addi

tiona

l inc

omes

The

adde

d va

lue

at v

ario

usle

vels

lead

s to

fou

r su

b gr

oups

:(i)

no id

entif

ied

adde

d va

lue

at lo

cal l

evel

;(ii

)id

entif

ied

adde

d va

lue

atlo

cal l

evel

(ii

i)id

entif

ied

adde

d va

lue

atna

tiona

l lev

el;

(iv)

iden

tifie

d ad

ded

valu

e at

glob

al le

vel

Biod

iver

sity

and

env

ironm

enta

lse

rvic

es

Poor

peo

ple

are

able

to

dive

rsify

the

bas

is o

f th

eir

livel

ihoo

d, t

hrou

gh b

ette

rco

nser

vatio

n an

d su

stai

nabl

eus

e of

bio

dive

rsity

Dom

estic

atio

n st

atus

(dom

estic

ated

, sem

i-do

mes

ticat

ed w

ith p

oten

tial

for

full

expl

oita

tion,

sem

i-do

mes

ticat

ed a

s go

od e

noug

h,w

ild p

lant

s or

mor

e si

mpl

ified

culti

vate

d, m

anag

ed, n

on-

culti

vate

d) a

nd t

he s

tatu

s of

the

spec

ies

(loca

l end

emic

,in

vasi

ve, t

hrea

tene

d/en

dang

ered

, wid

espr

ead)

Non

-mat

eria

l ben

efits

Mai

ntai

n th

eir

valu

es, t

oen

sure

the

ir ap

prec

iatio

nan

d co

ntrib

ute

to t

hepa

ssin

g on

fro

m p

rese

nt t

ofu

ture

gen

erat

ions

Type

of

avai

labl

e kn

owle

dge

in r

elat

ion

to p

lant

spe

cies

:co

mm

on k

now

ledg

e,sp

ecifi

c kn

owle

dge,

scie

ntifi

c kn

owle

dge,

inte

rmed

iate

kno

wle

dge

Leve

l of

culti

vatio

n:cu

ltiva

ted,

non

-cul

tivat

ed(w

ild),

man

aged

Func

tions

of

UPS

: spi

ritua

l,fo

od c

ultu

re, e

duca

tiona

l,so

cial

/inst

itutio

nal a

ndcu

ltura

l lan

dsca

pe

Stre

ngth

s

Opp

ortu

nitie

s

Loca

lly a

vaila

ble

and

acce

ssib

le

Loca

l kno

wle

dge

avai

labl

e on

man

agem

ent

and

use

Adap

ted

to t

he lo

cal

envi

ronm

ent

Mul

ti-pu

rpos

e

Spec

ific

nutr

ition

and

hea

lthva

lue

Low

req

uire

men

t fo

r ex

tern

alin

puts

Mar

keta

ble

Easy

pro

mot

ion

(soc

ially

acce

ptab

le)

Tech

nolo

gy a

vaila

ble

toen

hanc

e pr

oduc

tion;

fut

ure

expl

oita

tion

of n

utrit

iona

l and

med

icin

al p

rope

rtie

s

Loca

lly a

vaila

ble

and

acce

ssib

le

Loca

l kno

wle

dge

avai

labl

e on

man

agem

ent

and

use

Adap

ted

to t

he lo

cal

envi

ronm

ent

Avai

labi

lity

of m

arke

ts a

ndm

arke

t in

fras

truc

ture

,co

nduc

ive

polit

ical

/lega

lfr

amew

ork

Avai

labi

lity

of t

echn

olog

ypo

tent

ial f

or a

ddin

g va

lue,

job

crea

tion;

fut

ure

expl

oita

tion

ofm

arke

tabl

e pr

oper

ties

Adap

ted

to t

he lo

cal

envi

ronm

ent

Wid

e ge

netic

div

ersi

ty

Incr

ease

d op

tions

in r

espo

nse

to e

nviro

nmen

tal c

hang

es;

incr

ease

d re

silie

nce

ofco

mm

uniti

es; f

utur

eex

ploi

tatio

n of

gen

etic

div

ersi

ty

Incr

ease

d m

arke

ting

prov

ide

ince

ntiv

es f

or c

onse

rvat

ion

Leve

rage

with

nat

ural

res

ourc

elo

bby

Paym

ent

for

envi

ronm

enta

lse

rvic

es

Loca

lly a

vaila

ble

and

acce

ssib

le

Loca

l kno

wle

dge

avai

labl

eon

man

agem

ent

and

use

Adap

ted

to t

he lo

cal

envi

ronm

ent

Mul

ti-pu

rpos

e

Stre

ngth

en c

ultu

ral i

dent

ity

Empo

wer

men

t of

loca

lco

mm

uniti

es;

peop

le in

the

cen

tre

ofac

tiviti

es

Lead

s to

inte

rcul

tura

lap

prec

iatio

n

Prom

otes

inno

vatio

n an

dne

w in

form

atio

n


17

Due to the diversity of underutilized plant species, it is important to identifygroups of species which share key common characteristics with regard to theircontribution to poverty alleviation. This is not for the purpose of prioritizingplant species at an early stage, but rather to be able to develop more targetedpromotion strategies based on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities andthreats identified for each of these groups. Table 33 outlines the differentcontributions of underutilized plant species, the specific objectives for theirpromotion, and the different groups of species sharing key characteristicsidentified by workshop participants. Furthermore, the table lists importantstrengths, opportunities, weaknesses and threats for their future promotion.

Food security and health

The objective of promoting underutilized plant species for improved food securityand health is that poor people have permanent access to sufficient food of ade-quate quality that is socially and culturally acceptable, for an active and healthy life.

Underutilized plant species that are relevant for food security and health can begrouped according to their suitability for different agro-ecological zones. Theimmediate and short-term focus should be on underutilized plant species thatare well adapted and available in a specific location, instead of trying tointroduce underutilized plant species from other agro-ecological zones.

Furthermore, underutilized plant species can be divided into different categoriesdepending upon the degree and available knowledge on their management anduse. Whilst local knowledge on management and use for some species is widelyavailable, this may not be the case for others. The same applies to the availa-bility of scientific information. An important constraint on the promotion ofmany underutilized plant species for increasing food security and health is thelack of information on plant properties (e.g. toxins, anti-nutritional factors,medicinal properties, etc.). A resulting threat is that the potential contributionsof these underutilized plant species to food security and health are difficult toestimate. On the other hand, there is a wide range of underutilized plant species

16Ta

ble

3 co

nt.

Wea

knes

ses

Thre

ats

Low

pro

duct

ivity

, pos

t-ha

rves

tpr

oble

ms

Stig

mat

ized

as

‘old

fas

hion

ed’

Diet

ary

tran

sitio

n

Biop

iracy

Poor

see

d sy

stem

s

Loss

of

loca

l kno

wle

dge

Ove

rest

imat

ion

of p

oten

tial

Lack

of

polic

y su

ppor

t

Low

pric

e, lo

w p

rodu

ctiv

ity,

post

-har

vest

pro

blem

s

Shor

t liv

ed m

arke

ts

Fina

ncia

l inv

estm

ent

requ

ired

Com

petit

ion

by b

ig in

dust

ry

Non

-tar

iff t

rade

bar

riers

Une

quita

ble

bene

fit-s

harin

g

Biop

iracy

Biod

iver

sity

and

env

ironm

enta

lse

rvic

es a

re n

ot p

rovi

ded

bysi

ngle

spe

cies

but

by

the

com

plex

ity o

f th

e ec

osys

tem

Cons

erva

tion

with

out

cons

ider

ing

hum

an n

eeds

Nar

row

ing

gene

tic b

ase

(whe

redo

mes

ticat

ion

and

sam

equ

ality

is n

eede

d)

Disp

lace

men

t of

oth

er s

peci

es

Non

-sus

tain

able

use

of

the

ecos

yste

m

Know

ledg

e of

man

agem

ent

and

use

conf

ined

to

smal

lgr

oup

of p

eopl

e (s

peci

alkn

owle

dge)

Neg

ativ

e pl

ant

prop

ertie

s(e

.g. r

egen

erat

ion

capa

city

,gr

owin

g ha

bits

, etc

.)

Less

impo

rtan

t in

‘mod

ern’

life

Brea

king

the

link

bet

wee

ncu

lture

and

UPS

mea

nsth

ey b

ecom

e a

com

mod

ityan

d ca

n be

tak

en t

o ot

her

prod

uctio

n si

tes

Biop

iracy

3Table 3 provides a synthesis of the SWOT-analysis carried out by the four working groups. It is,therefore, not complete and needs to be further developed for each specific plant species in itsown local context.


19

of profits is approximately 5% for growers and 60% for retailers (Denzil 4). This could be a major setback to enhancing income opportunities for poor people unless some kind of value-adding takes place at the farm or smallcommunity level.

Another effect is that as underutilized plant species become commodities,the traits and varieties that made them valuable to the resource-poor may bereplaced or the production sites will be moved into areas more favoured byproducers with capital, technology and management expertise. Here the risksare increased competition and loss of the genetic resource base.

A general risk for underutilized plant species in all subgroups is unrealisticexpectations of market potential. Very often markets for ‘new’ products arerelatively short-lived and vulnerable to substitution with other products oncean economic interested demand is established. Non-tariff trade barriers mightrepresent additional hurdles to entering international markets (e.g. the EUNovel Food Regulation).

Non-material benefits

The main objective of promoting underutilized plant species for non-materialbenefits is to maintain their value, ensure their appreciation and contribute tothe handing down from present to future generations to safeguard the plants’survival and to prevent them from further neglect.

From this perspective underutilized plant species can be grouped accordingto the type of knowledge available for the plant species, which includescommon/indigenous knowledge, specific knowledge, scientific knowledgeand intermediate knowledge. Furthermore, they can be grouped according totheir main functions, i.e. spiritual, food culture, educational, social/institutionaland cultural landscape.

Indigenous knowledge is important in order to appreciate and enhance thenon-material benefits of underutilized plant species. The recognition of local

18

with well known nutritional and medicinal properties, which have the potentialfor further promotion as they are locally known, culturally accepted and often a well established component of farming systems and diet. This category ofunderutilized plant species may have other constraints, such as low productivity,poor seed systems or post-harvest problems.

Income generation and local economies

The aim of promoting underutilized plant species for income generation is toincrease the direct economic benefits to poor people and vulnerable groups, byproviding additional cash income. Underutilized plant species with a potentialfor income generation can be divided into those with ‘identified’ or ‘not identi-fied’ potential and also into those with a market potential at local, national orglobal level. Each of these four groups have different characteristics, whichshape promotion strategies. The opportunities for value-adding at different levelsdetermine their income generation potential. In the past, the main focus forpromotion has been on plant species with value-adding potential at global level,neglecting the potential at local and/or national level. Local markets may offerthe most realistic and direct potential for contributing to income generation forpoor people, as they do not require a large infrastructure, processing technologyor capital to reach them. However, past and current extension methods focusingon improved and introduced species, consumer preferences for ‘modern’ or‘imported’ food, etc., have limited the realization of this potential. The marketingof wild plants offers a good opportunity for poor people as they do not requireland and other physical assets, but runs the risk of overexploitation and conse-quently of loss. Their collection is labour-intensive, which could be seen as anadvantage for poor people not owning land.

On the other hand, local markets tend to be small with a limited demand forproducts because many people are self-sufficient in certain local products orhave no financial resources to purchase them from the market, whereas nationaland global markets offer a greater potential in terms of demand and prices.However, the promotion of underutilized plant species for national and globalmarkets requires a detailed understanding of the supply chain and the potentialtrickle-down effect to benefit the poor. Adding value at the growers end is amajor challenge and does not happen in many cases. The average distribution 4

Refer to the CD for full paper of this presentation.


21

to respond to environmental and climatic changes and so contribute to theresilience of farming communities. Genetic diversity is a key component inachieving this. Underutilized plant species within the category of semi-domesticated and wild plants offer a greater potential in terms of geneticdiversity as they have not yet been manipulated by modern techniques andfarming styles. Similarly, local endemic species are important for geneticdiversity. However, the promotion of underutilized plant species within thesecategories bears the risk that these species will become overexploited andgenetic diversity will be lost. Furthermore, legal obstacles and opposition fromconservationists could be an additional threat to the promotion of underutilizedplant species in these categories.

On the other hand, it is important to recognize that an enhanced use ofunderutilized plant species will provide further reasons to maintain and conservethese species, because people understand that their survival and livelihoodsdepend on them.

Strategic elements for the promotion and sustainableutilization of underutilized plant speciesIn the previous sections we analyzed the different contributions of underutilizedplant species to food security and health, income generation, non-materialbenefits and biodiversity and environmental services and the related opportun-ities and threats. Furthermore, we introduced different groups or categories ofunderutilized plant species with key common characteristics that will requiredifferent promotion strategies to meet the overall objectives outlined in Table 3.This section presents a range of strategic elements, which were identified duringthe workshop as being relevant to the promotion and sustainable utilization ofunderutilized plant species. These are summarized in Table 4 below and aregrouped into the following areas of intervention (presented in no particularorder), which were established by the working group participants.

Conservation, improvement and accessPost-harvest handling and processingPolicy and legislationAwareness creation and lobbying

20

criteria such as taste, easiness to prepare, importance for cultural and spiritualfunctions, etc., is crucial. One of the main strengths of underutilized plantspecies is the different and multiple functions these plant species fulfil inpoor people’s livelihoods. Scientific knowledge focuses too often only on themajor functions without taking into account the range of secondary livelihoodfunctions. Therefore, the relevance of scientific knowledge with regard to thesefunctions is not necessarily the best departure point for developing underutilizedplant species. On the other hand, the value and cultural/spiritual functions ofcertain plant species are only known and managed by a specific group of people within the community, which may be a negative factor for promotion and enhanced use.

The promotion of non-material benefits of underutilized plant species offers theopportunity to place poor people in the centre of activities, as the main focus ison the assets available to them and their complex livelihood contributions. Thisis an important step towards strengthening local communities. However, the establish-ment and recognition of traditional resource rights and intellectual propertyrights are very important for benefit-sharing because, once a underutilized plantspecies becomes a commodity, it can be taken anywhere and past experienceshave shown that this usually leads to loss of ownership and control by the poor.

Biodiversity and environmental benefits

The objective of promoting underutilized plant species for biodiversity andenvironmental benefits is to enable poor people to diversify and stabilize thebasis of their livelihood, through better conservation and sustainable use ofbiodiversity.

Useful criteria to group underutilized plant species from this perspective aretheir domestication status (i.e. domesticated, semi-domesticated with potentialfor full exploitation, semi-domesticated as good enough, wild plants or moresimplified cultivated, managed, non-cultivated) and the status of the species(i.e. local endemic, invasive, threatened/endangered, widespread).

One of the main opportunities for promoting the use of underutilized plantspecies is to expand the options available to poor farmers to enable them


23

educational, social, institutional, cultural landscape)?Do they have an identified added value at local, national or global level?To what extent are they adapted to different agro-ecological zones?

3.What are the inherent strengths and weaknesses of the respective plantspecies within the area of contribution?

Are these species locally available and accessible?Are their seed systems established?Does local knowledge about their management, use and post-harvesting exist?Are these species adapted to the local environment?Do the species possess multiple uses?Do the species have marketable traits and image?Do these species have a wide genetic diversity?

4.What are the main opportunities for, and threats to their promotionin regard to the objectives?(i) Food security and health

Do these species require external inputs?Is there an identified market potential?Are their nutritional and medicinal properties known?Are research, education and extension servicesknowledgeable and in place?

(ii) Income generationIs there a market potential (niches, windows) identifiedand on what level?Is the necessary market infrastructure (i.e. information, processing,packaging, distribution channels, etc.) availableand accessible?Is there access to credit or economic incentives?Is there a conducive political and legal framework for marketing in place?Are the technology and relevant knowledge

22

MarketingCapacity buildingInformation generation and managementInter-sectoral interventions

It is important to emphasize again that the contribution underutilized plantspecies can make to poverty alleviation depends on the respective causes ofpoverty and not all underutilized plant species have the same potential forcontributing to poverty alleviation in the same way. There are differentcategories of underutilized plant species with different potential in differentcontexts. Therefore, the intervention areas and more importantly, the strategicelements identified under each intervention area, are not relevant for allunderutilized plant species. They can only offer guidance to present and futureactors involved in the promotion of underutilized plant species in identifyingintervention strategies.

The following decision steps should be considered in the situation analysis andfor developing an appropriate strategy for the promotion and development of underutilized plant species. For each step, a selection of key questions isprovided, which need to be further adapted to the specific situation.

1.What do we want to achieve by enhancing the sustainable use of underutilized plant species?

Food security and healthIncome generationSafeguarding non-material benefitsConservation of biodiversity and environmental services

2.What are the characteristics of the underutilized plant species available in the local context?

What skills and knowledge are available regarding the species(indigenous, common, specific, scientific, intermediate)?What is the domestication status of these species (domesticated, semi-domesticated, wild)?Are the species endemic, invasive, endangered or widespread?What are the functions of these species (spiritual, food culture,


25

Crop improvementSelection and evaluation of cultivarsImprovement of seed supply systemsDevelopment of appropriate technologiesConservation of germplasmTargeted collection of new germplasmFarmer experimentation and innovationSupport to gene banks to expand collection efforts

(ii) Post-harvest handling and processingImproved storage technologiesPromotion of existing technologiesPromotion of value addingScaling-up of existing technologiesValidation/improvement of processing and storage technologiesTechnical advice on product developmentFunding for primary processing facilities at rural level

(iii) Policy and legislationEstablishment of international property rights legislation for underutilized plant speciesEstablishment of links to existing conventions/treatiesEstablishment of community registersLink to food safety aspects/novel food regulationEstablishment of policy working groups and local policy dialogue fora Integration of cultural values into extension programmesRequirement for (agro)biodiversity impact evaluation for newprojects and assessment of existing projectsSurvey of existing legal and institutional regimes and recommendations for changes to eliminate obstaclesPositive policies promoting underutilized plant speciesintegrated into international development policies/programmesRegulatory framework for equitable benefit-sharingRatification of International Treaty on Plant GeneticResources (ITPGR)

24

for value adding available?Is there potential for replacement by synthetic products?The Are mechanisms in place to avoid overexploitation?

(iii) Non-material benefitsDo these species contribute to the cultural identity and empowerment of local communities?Who holds the knowledge about management practices and use?Are these species multi-purpose or are they limited to aspecific purpose?

(iv) Biodiversity and environmental servicesAre the species likely to increase future options for respondingto environmental change?Are these species of a known wide genetic diversity?Have they been subject to breeding and improvement activities?Is their use protected by national/international laws?Are the species endangered or invasive Do the species provide certain environmental services and fitinto diversified production systems?

5.What are the main intervention areas to build on the strengthsand opportunities, and to overcome the weaknesses and threats?

Conservation, crop improvement and access to genetic resourcesPost-harvest handling and processingPolicy and legislationAwareness creation and lobbyingMarketingCapacity buildingInformation generation and managementInter-sectoral interventions

6.Which of the following strategic elements have to be implementedwithin the selected intervention areas? (i) Conservation, improvement and access

Promotion of in situ conservation


27

International Agricultural Research Centres (IARCs) werementioned as actors that can provide these modulesR&D-based NGOs network building in poor regionsTraining for farmers (CBOs) on technical and organizational aspectsInclude underutilized plant species in training curricula ofschools and universitiesLink local and scientific knowledgeEducation of younger generations (community level)Local leadership capacity building

(vii) Information generation and managementDocumentation/synthesis of existing information andsuccess storiesLinks with databases of the Environmental Convention/Conventionon Biological Diversity, etc.Identification of focal point for information sharingInformation generation on nutritious value of underutilizedplant speciesDocumentation of indigenous knowledge on nutritional andmedicinal propertiesIdentification and documentation of species (communitybiodiversity register)Knowledge generation through farmer experimentation andinnovationDevelopment of information tools and decision support systems

(viii) Inter-sectoral interventionsMainstreaming underutilized plant species inother sector initiativesNetworking through inter-agency working groupsLinking to educational and cultural programmesPromoting vertical integration Linking to UNESCO programmesLinking to credit facilities

26

(iv) Awareness creation and lobbyingLobbying with conservationists and potential investorsIntegration into national development agendasConduct food security and health needs assessmentIncrease public awareness through recipes for food preparationPromote cultural/local productsBroaden the clientele (restaurants, shops, etc.)Cultural festivals and fairsInform communities about rights and policiesSocial mobilization through stakeholder analysis andinstitutional mappingDevelop clear extension messages in local languages for farmersOptimum use of mass media (rural radio, fairs, folk songs, etc.)

(v) MarketingCertification of productsIntroduction of quality standardsChanges in market regime to encourage sustainable useOptimize market potential through value adding at different levelsPromote access to creditDevelop new productsPromote producers associationsEstablish information systems on markets, prices, etc.Explore national and international marketsChanges in market regime to avoid overexploitation and toassure equitable sharing of benefits

(vi) Capacity buildingAssess institutional capacities to deal with underutilizedplant speciesPromote professional associationsStrengthen small businessesEnhance capacities of producers and clientsTraining of intermediary organizations (CBOs, NGOs,government organizations, private sector)Provide training modules based on underutilized plant species;


2928Ta

ble

4 Ac

tors

invo

lved

in t

he im

plem

enta

tion

of s

trat

egic

ele

men

ts –

exa

mpl

e fr

om t

hew

orki

ng g

roup

on

‘bio

dive

rsity

and

env

ironm

enta

l ben

efits

’

Key

area

s of

in

terv

entio

n

Synt

hesi

s of

exis

ting

info

rmat

ion

and

targ

eted

colle

ctio

n of

new

info

rmat

ion

and

germ

plas

m

Awar

enes

scr

eatio

n an

din

form

atio

ndi

ssem

inat

ion

Lend

ing

orga

niza

-tio

ns (W

orld

Ban

k,IF

AD, e

tc.)

Dono

rs (b

ilate

ral)

GFU

•Cr

eate

fun

ctio

nal

data

base

s on

UPS

•Li

nk w

ith d

ata-

base

s of

the

En

viro

nmen

tal

Conv

entio

n/CB

D,et

c.•

Crea

te in

form

a-tio

n re

sour

ces

in

tran

slat

ion

of

mul

tiple

med

ia

•Es

tabl

ish

info

r-m

atio

n ex

chan

ge

Inte

rnat

iona

lAg

ricul

tura

lRe

sear

ch C

entr

es

•Co

llect

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31

Recognition of diversity of underutilized plant species

The analysis of promotion strategies for underutilized plant species recognizedthe complexity of the issue and the need for context-specific interventions.The workshop participants were able to define clusters of underutilized plantspecies with key common characteristics, which need to be considered whenunderutilized plant species are promoted with different objectives.

Pro-poor development focus

A main conclusion from the workshop discussions was that the rural poor shouldbe placed at the centre of the debate and their needs should be considered at alllevels. It is important, therefore, to establish a clear development focus for thepromotion of underutilized plant species, as other examples have shown that thepromotion can easily bypass the poor. The participants agreed that institutionaland policy mechanisms need to be established to effectively target and benefitthe poor.

Promotion approaches

A crucial issue in terms of successful promotion approaches is the need forpartnerships and a common understanding of the challenges. The participantsemphasized the importance of mainstreaming the work into ongoing initiatives.A common problem is the fragmentation of efforts and researchers, farmers andother stakeholders need to work more closely together. Furthermore, there is aneed to define the exact role of research, as many of the identified weaknessesand threats are not clearly research related. The participants pointed out theimportance of multi-stakeholder processes, which include all stakeholders. Aparticular focus should be on gender integration and cultural diversity, as this iscrucial for the sustainable management of underutilized plant species. It wasconcluded that a combination of approaches would be required to successfullytarget the poor. The participants established the key elements of an effectivepromotion approach.

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7. Which stakeholders/actors need to be involved in the implementation ofthese strategic elements?

This decision step is very much dependent on the specific interven-tion context and needs to be elaborated for each individual situation.Table 4 on page 28 provides an example of stakeholder involvementat different levels from the working group on ‘biodiversity and envi-ronmental benefits’. In the following section, recommendations aremade for the involvement of different potential actors in the imple-mentation of the strategic elements identified during the workshop.

Workshop Conclusions and OutlookThe identification of strategic elements for the promotion and sustainableutilization of underutilized plant species for poverty alleviation was the mainoutput from the workshop. In this section we present the main conclusionsbefore we provide further details on the potential actors for implementing thestrategic elements identified.

Conclusions

Definition of underutilized plant species

There is no commonly agreed definition/terminology for underutilized plantspecies, which makes it difficult to focus discussions. It is important to establisha clear definition of underutilized plant species that contains selection criteriafor plant species and shows the links to other related terms such as plantgenetic resources, (agro)biodiversity, etc. However, some key features ofunderutilized plant species could be agreed including: their status is contextand value-specific, they are public goods, assets of poor people, have local orregional importance, etc.


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Intervention areas and strategic elements

It is important to stress that the main identified intervention areas do not targetunderutilized plant species at plant genetic resource level (such as speciesimprovement, management practices, etc.). They mainly address policy issues(especially those concerned with benefit-sharing and intellectual property rightslegislation), information management and capacity building issues as well asawareness creation, lobbying and marketing. An important conclusion from theworkshop was that underutilized plant species need to be mainstreamed inongoing research and development initiatives, in order to become more visibleand attract more attention. In general, strategic elements for promotion shouldbuild on the existing strengths of underutilized plant species and target theidentified opportunities. They are, therefore, context-specific and require adetailed analysis as outlined above.

Actions required and potential actorsVarious actors were identified who should be mobilized to contribute to theimplementation of the strategic elements at different levels (local, national orinternational) depending on the intervention area. We present a synthesis ofthese recommendations below. Furthermore, we provide an indication of howfar the workshop outputs and recommendations will be followed up by theGlobal Facilitation Unit.

Plant species conservation/improvement and access

At the international level, the involvement of the International AgriculturalResearch Centres (IARCs) is required. At the national level, it is the responsibilityof the National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) to collect, conserve,characterize, evaluate, domesticate and improve existing germplasm as well asto develop and adapt production technologies. At the local level, conservationand improvement has to be undertaken by the farmers themselves and the CBOsthrough farmers’ research and community biodiversity registries. Poor seedsystems are often a problem for increasing the use of underutilized species. TheIARCs and NARS need to improve access to seeds for farmers at national leveland to strengthen farmers’ informal seed systems.

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Private sector involvement

Strong emphasis was placed on the importance of involving the private sector infuture promotion strategies. Underutilized plant species will remain underutilizeduntil and unless markets are found for them and the private sector has a role toplay in identifying and establishing these markets. However, past and currentexperience shows that in many cases the private sector has not become involvedin commercializing underutilized plant species. This is because it is extremelycostly to invest in unknown and untested products. There is a huge risk becauseit is not known how well these products will sell. Product development costs arehigh and marketing is difficult due to consumers lack of knowledge about theproducts. This stresses the relevance of providing information and awarenesscreation. If rural producers are to benefit from the commercialization of under-utilized plant species, the capacity of the private sector must be increased andit must be encouraged through incentives associated with specific underutilizedplant species. Linkages with NGOs and donors should be established to encoura-ge the private sector to commercialize underutilized plant species in private-public partnerships.

Establishment of communities of practice

The participants identified the need for establishing communities of practice,which can exchange and build on existing experiences. Specific topics forthese communities are impact assessment and development of indicators toallow for monitoring and evaluation of underutilized plant species initiativesand to maintain a pro-poor focus. The community of practice could contributeto the systematization of experiences gained from different approaches andtheir respective impacts. Furthermore, they could focus on an analysis of therelevance of underutilized plant species to poverty alleviation compared to themain staple crops. This information is necessary to provide evidence of positiveimpact to donors and others who do not fully recognize the importance ofunderutilized plant species. Furthermore, it will help to improve the approachestaken to optimize impact.


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Marketing

As mentioned above, it is crucial that the the role of the private sector isincreased. At the national level, the private sector has to explore markets,develop marketable products and organize value-adding activities, such asorganic certification and processing. The task of the NGOs is to advocate onequitable benefit-sharing along the supply chain. NGOs should assist the ruralprivate sector with business training. National governments must put in placeregulatory incentives for investors in underutilized species. They should set upan attractive credit system for farmers and small entrepreneurs who want toinvest in underutilized species. Governments, in co-operation with the privatesector and inter-governmental organizations, have to establish internationallyrecognized product standards, which can be achieved by producers and localindustry. Governments should protect the local industry during the start-upphase. At the international level, governments should abolish non-tariff tradebarriers that hinder products from developing countries entering their markets(e.g. EU Novel Food Regulation).

Capacity building

At the local level, the traditional authorities, village committees, spiritualleaders, innovative farmers and individual households are responsible for theeducation of the younger generation and the transfer of knowledge aboutunderutilized species to them. At the national level, it is the responsibility ofthe respective ministries (education, culture, community development) tomake sure that underutilized species are included in the curricula of schoolsand other education programmes. A vital role should be played by NGOsin providing training to farmers and CBOs on technical, marketing andorganizational aspects in participatory research and farmers’ seed production.Training institutions such as InWEnt also have an important role to play intargeting researchers, development agents, etc. Lending institutions, UNorganizations such as FAO and UNIDO, and bilateral donors should provideresources and organize human resources development programmes onunderutilized species at an international level.

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Post-harvest handling and processing

The primary tasks of the private sector in this area are product development andthe development of processing technologies. The private sector is also requestedto establish production units at community level and to ensure sustainableharvesting of the species to be processed and marketed. NGOs and NARS shoulddevelop and adapt appropriate processing technologies for rural householdsincluding the improvement of storage facilities at household level to allowstorage of seasonal mass production.

Policy and legislation

Underutilized plant species should be closely linked to the CBD and the Inter-national Treaty. Key actors at the international level are the IARCs, the nationalfocal points of the CBD and the Treaty, but also international donors and NGOssuch as IUCN and WWF. A review of the existing international treaties is necessaryand this should be initiated by the CGIAR, UN organizations such as FAO andother international organizations such as the World International PropertyOrganization (WIPO). Farmers’ Unions, local development NGOs and cross-community networks should initiate and lead local policy dialogue fora with theaim of influencing the inclusion of underutilized species in national agriculturaland development policies. The relevant national ministries have to ensure thatnational laws are revised in such a way that the intellectual property rights areguaranteed for the rural communities.

Awareness creation and lobbying

The traditional authorities, village councils and chiefs are also important increating awareness on the intellectual property rights that people possess.National information centres and extension agencies can play a role in lobbyingat national level to include underutilized plant species and their cultural valuesin agricultural extension programmes. The private sector is important and shouldbe responsible for creating awareness of the economic value of underutilizedspecies among consumers and producers.


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Future actions of the global facilitation unit

The workshop report will be made available to all potentially interested stake-holders. A small brochure listing the key elements of a successful approach forpromoting and developing underutilized species with the aim of benefiting poorpeople will be developed. It will also contain the major areas of interventionelaborated during the workshop and the decision steps necessary to select thestrategic elements that enhance the contribution of underutilized plant speciesto the various intervention areas. This brochure will provide a quick guide for allorganizations planning projects or already involved in activities on underutilizedspecies to choose the most appropriate approach and to include all strategicelements required for success in a particular intervention area. This will finallylead to the institutionalization of the workshop results.

Based on the workshop conclusions, there are several areas of actions where theGFU will take an active role.

Definition of underutilized plant species

The GFU will initiate a discussion among stakeholders aiming to clarify existingterms and to achieve a common understanding. In the meantime, we shouldaccept the definition agreed upon during the workshop and currently used bythe GFU (see page 8). This definition targets species, which show some of thefollowing key features: low external inputs for production, suitable for cultivationon marginal land (low soil fertility, etc.), suitable for stabilizing fragile ecosystems,able to fit into smallholders’ farming systems, easy to store and process byresource-poor communities, market opportunities available, high nutritionaland/or medicinal value, and offer multipurpose uses. These selection criteria willalso be revised in a stakeholder consultation and general agreement forprioritization of species will be sought.

Intervention areas and strategic elements

(i) The GFU will assist interested stakeholders in developing project proposalsand critically revise them according to the approach chosen and theinclusion of the strategic elements for optimum success in the targeted

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Information generation and management

At the international level, the IARCs should support national gene banks toexpand the information collected. They should conduct surveys of indigenousknowledge to complete existing information and to fill in gaps. A study ofdifferent agro-ecological zones with regard to their suitability for specificunderutilized species would be most useful. National governments have toundertake an assessment of existing information at national levels. In co-operation with national NGOs, governments have to develop and appropriatelydisseminate clear extension messages in local languages for farmers. The existinglocal knowledge has to be linked to scientific knowledge to improve geneticmaterial, to exploit further uses of the species and to enhance production; thisis a task for the NARS and local NGOs. Information exchange workshops at localand regional level are a good way of stimulating this exchange. The traditionalauthorities and the CBOs have to be more active in local information flows.Cross-community visits to inform indigenous people about similar situations inother communities should be regularly organized by local leaders. They shouldalso organize cultural festivals and fairs to present the underutilized species andthe existing knowledge about them to other communities.

Inter-sectoral interventions

For the future promotion of underutilized plant species, it is crucial that under-utilized plant species are integrated into existing programmes and initiatives.For example, FAO could have an important role by including underutilized plantspecies explicitly in their inter-departmental working group on biodiversity. Thiswould raise the profile of the topic across FAO and its partners. Another examplewould be to create a strong link to UNESCO. Underutilized species are part ofhumankind’s cultural heritage. A close link to UNESCO’s cultural programmesshould be established. UNESCO should participate in a review of the relevantinternational treaties on biodiversity to ensure that the importance of under-utilized species beyond agriculture and food issues is highlighted. At the nationallevel, the underutilized species have to be mainstreamed in all sectors to whichthey are relevant (i.e. agriculture, rural development, health, culture education).Local NGOs and development organizations should bring this issue to theattention of governments.


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The GFU will also provide information on trade regulations and policiesaffecting the marketing of underutilized species.

(iii) In the area of awareness creation and lobbying, the GFU has alreadyparticipated with an information stand at an international agricultural fair inGermany. It also funded the participation of a South American NGO at thesame fair to demonstrate local products made from underutilized species.The GFU in future will support the participation of organizations at local orregional fairs and cultural events where awareness of the importance ofunderutilized species in poor peoples’ lives can be raised. The GFU canfacilitate and support campaigns on local and international radio and othermass media. Interested stakeholders are invited to contact the GFU.

A meeting with donor and development agencies will be organized to drawtheir attention to underutilized plant species. This will eventually influencenational policy-makers to integrate these species into developmentpolicies/programmes.

(iv) Policies and legislation: one of the major constraints to underutilized speciesnot being used to a wider extent is the lack of enabling policies. In only afew countries do development policies take into account the huge potentialof underutilized species. Therefore, almost no funds are allocated to researchon these species. They play no role in the curricula of schools or the agendaof extension services. Influencing political decision-making in such a waythat underutilized species will play a more prominent role in nationaldevelopment policies will be a challenging task for the GFU. As a follow-upto this workshop, a meeting with a strong focus on political decision-makershas to be organized.

In a joint effort with other GTZ projects and the CIP, we are analysing theimplications of the EU Novel Food Regulation on imports into the EU. Basedon this analysis, we will intensify the dialogue which has been alreadyinitiated with the relevant bodies in the European Commission to achieve arevision of the regulation that considers the interests and needs ofdeveloping countries as far as possible. We will also support on request theactive participation of developing countries in these negotiations.

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intervention area. The GFU can then recommend the proposal to therespective donors emphasizing that the proposal considers all relevant issuesidentified and agreed upon during a multi-stakeholder workshop. This could,together with the sensitization of donors to the importance of underutilizedspecies, increase the likelihood of receiving funding.

(ii) In the area of information management, which includes informationgeneration, compilation, documentation and distribution, the workshopparticipants identified an important task for the GFU. This is in line with themandate given to the GFU by its initiators. The GFU web portal offers anideal opportunity for the exchange and dissemination of information aboutunderutilized species. It will allow its visitors to place information. The portalprovides links to databases of other stakeholders involved in work onunderutilized species. On the other hand, the GFU is already collectinginformation relevant to stakeholders. A database is currently being created –‘Who is doing What’, which will be accessible through the internet. Thisdatabase will allow interested parties to retrieve information aboutorganizations and their projects, working areas, the species with which theyare dealing and it will provide a list of experts in different fields or ondifferent species. This database will facilitate contact and collaborationbetween stakeholders. Stakeholders can also submit information to the GFU,which will then be distributed to a wider community.

The workshop revealed clearly that the market potential of many underutilizedspecies is most attractive to farmers and rural dwellers. It is an additionalincentive for the conservation of these species and can represent an impor-tant source of income. However, most communities do not have up-to-datemarket information and contacts to potential buyers of their products, particularly in foreign markets. The GFU will, therefore, conduct a survey in Euro-pe and the USA amongst importers of exotic food and other productswith the emphasis on fair trade companies. The purpose of the survey will beto receive information from these companies on their interest and prepared-ness to buy and market products derived from underutilized species. It willprovide an overview of the most requested product groups and the preferredcountries of origin. It will also provide a list of companies, which can be con-tacted by the local producers’ organizations or exporters for further negotiations.


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Appendix 1

Statements from the High Table The objective of this session was for the panelists to express their points of viewin relation to the workshop outcomes focusing on two issues: (i) where they sawa role or responsibility for their organizations to contribute to theimplementation of the suggested strategic elements; (ii) any new insights theyhad gained from the workshop that were relevant to their organizations.

Mercy Karanja, Kenyan National Farmers’ Union, representing theInternational Federation of Agricultural ProducersThe International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP) is committed to theWorld Food Summit goals. It works at community, national, regional,international and thematic levels. One of the biggest threats to farmers indeveloping countries is the weakness of their institutions. These are often nottaken into account by governments when policies are formulated. Therefore,strengthening these organizations is the major role of IFAP. Producers are at thecentre of reducing the number of hungry people. The organization is committedto achieving this through advocacy and lobbying. It will:

campaign and raise awareness of the role of underutilized plantspecies in redcing the worlds’ hungrylobby for policy changeencourage vertical and horizontal networks at national andinternational level.

A constraint is the fragmentation of efforts in the field of underutilized plantspecies. Researchers and farmers need to work more closely together.

New opportunities for underutilized plant species are:to make the producers partners in this initiative (i.e. the promotionand development of underutilized plant species)to mainstream underutilized plant species in the farmers-to-farmers approach which the organization is conductingto promote the topic to other members of IFAP worldwideto strengthen the availability of information on underutilized plantspecies.

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(v) Capacity building: as mentioned before, marketing of underutilized speciesproducts is very attractive to producers. Most countries and communitiesinterested in commercialization lack the capacity to assess the real marketpotential of these species, to obtain and up-date information on markets, tocreate the necessary physical infrastructure and to develop supportstrategies. Capacity building at different levels is a prerequisite forsustainable exploitation of these species, strengthening human resourcesbeing the most essential step in this direction. The GFU is, therefore,organizing an expert meeting to discuss how best this capacity building canbe achieved. The objectives of the meeting will be:

by using case studies, to analyze examples of successful marketing ofunderutilized species, which have led to the improvement of thelivelihoods of poor rural or forest communities through sustainabledevelopment oriented interventions

to identify those areas that will play the most strategic role in thesustainable commercialization of these species (e.g. market analysis,market promotion, organization of the production-to-use chain, policy andlegal aspects, national agricultural framework, etc.)

to elaborate a human resources development action plan around priorityareas aimed at strengthening the capacities of various stakeholder groups(i.e. producers, NGOs, researchers, private sector, extension workers, etc.)around priority areas. For the implementation of this action plan,collaboration with, and the support of training organizations will besought.


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(iv) FAO’s work on the promotion of agro-biodiversity could increase awarenessraising at all levels on the harnessing of underutilized plant species as partof the solution.

(v) FAO’s new work on protocol development for smallholder farmerimplementation of good agricultural practices could consider underutilizedplant species, for example, when looking at guidelines for leafy vegetables.

(vi) FAO could promote the application of genomic research towardcharacterization, trait-identification and the use of molecular markers in breeding underutilized plant species.

(vii) FAO will continue to improve and promote various key information anddecision support tools that also address underutilized plant species, such as ECO-CROP and ECO-PORT; other databases such as Hortivar and Pasture Crops may also be useful.

(viii)FAO will continue to work closely with all partners and engage in guidingand facilitating the work of the GFU to function as a meta informationclearinghouse on underutilized plant species.

I met many new colleagues and identified opportunities for possible collabora-tive actions on underutilized plant species. It became clear to me that most workon underutilized plant species must be done in the local context, but that bothbottom-up and top-down knowledge-sharing should be promoted. A new ideaoccurred to me during the meeting, i.e. the inclusion of education materials anddemonstrations on underutilized plant species in school garden and farmer fieldschools curricula. Also, CBOs seeking to enhance food security could include theuse of local, neglected vegetables in programmes for TeleFood support. Lastly, itbecame clear that plant breeding will often be required for the improved domes-tication of many underutilized plant species. The decision on which species tofocus the limited resources should be analyzed in a series of specialized work-shops on crop clusters with common opportunities, for example, a workshop onleafy vegetables, another on grains, another on root crops, another on pasture/range, etc. These workshops should have inputs from experienced breeders, rele-vant ethno-botanists, molecular geneticists, and specialist plant marketing experts.

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Eric Kueneman, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United NationsIt is important to understand that the Food and Agriculture Organization of theUnited Nations (FAO) is an inter-governmental technical agency and that itsprogramme of work is determined largely by the priorities of the member govern-ments. Consequently, new activities on the development of underutilized plantspecies must be integrated into goals and programmes approved by governingbodies. Also, while FAO is fully involved with assisting member governmentsrealize the Global Plan of Action on Plant Genetic Resources for both conservationand sustainable use, FAO’s first priority is addressing food security and povertyalleviation of the rural poor. In this regard, we include, inter alia, the promotionof crop diversification. The use of underutilized plant species is among the possiblechoices for farmers, but we believe that farmers must have access to all possiblegood options, not just neglected, underutilized crops. Our programme of work isconsequently on alternative crops, which means considering any new, highpoten-tial crop not used by farmers in a region. FAO can clearly emphasize harnessingthe potential of underutilized plant species by appropriate ‘mainstreaming’ ofthem in diverse country and regional projects as in the following examples:

(i) Educational materials and demonstrations on underutilized plant speciescould be developed for the new school garden initiative of FAO and theWorld Food Programme (WFP), including the school gardens and farmerfield schools of the Special Programme for Food Security, which is nowfunctioning in more than 80 countries. Many colleagues and partnerinstitutions present at this meeting could contribute to such activities.

(ii) Underutilized plant species options could be elements of the pilot fieldprojects of the new SARD Initiative emerging from the Global Summit onSustainable Development. This initiative is facilitated by FAO, but is largelydesigned by members of a coalition of civil society and NGO focal-pointorganizations. Here FAO might also facilitate multi-stakeholder dialogues atthe country level to pilot test promotion of new local alliances to developnew crops coupled to village-level processing and secure market channels.

(iii) Perhaps some community-based action for enhancing local household foodsecurity that includes underutilized plant species could be supported bysmall TeleFood grants from FAO.


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donors should be established to encourage the private sector to commercializeunderutilized plant species. These incentives should include:

favourable credit facilitiessharing of research and developmenttechnical advice on product developmentfunding for the primary processing facilities at rural level.

NGOs, donors and others should stop viewing the private sector with suspicion,as a sector which is there merely to exploit and maximize profits to thedetriment of rural producers. Without the private sector there will be littlechance of effective and sustainable commercialization of underutilized plantspecies.

Hubert Omont, Global Forum on Agricultural ResearchNew insights include:

complexity of underutilized plant species issues, need to promotepartnership among various stakeholder to reach a commonunderstanding of problems, challenges and ways to approach themimportance of putting the rural poor at the centre of the debate,need to strengthen their organizationsa requirement to consider the problems and needs of the ruralpoor at all levels from local to globalneed for the rural poor to become active stakeholders inunderutilized plant speciesthere is a need to be precise about the exact role of research in thepromotion of underutilized plant species although they are seen asunder-researched, however, in this workshop this issue did notcome up as a weakness or threat.

Jochen de Haas, German Ministry of Economic Co-operation and Development The role of the German Ministry of Economic Co-operation and Development(BMZ) will be:

to communicate the workshop experience to the regionaldepartments within BMZ, to EIARD, the EU and other relevantinstitutions involved in international development.

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Caroline de Kock, Specialty Foods of Africa Pvt. Ltd, ZimbabweThe role of the private sector in the field of underutilized plant species is:

product development including the development of technologiesand formulae for processingmarketing and sales of processed products locally andinternationallyawareness creation of underutilized plant species and their benefitsto consumers and producerstransfer of business skills to rural producers where appropriateestablishment of community level production units for the benefitof producers and the private sectorensuring sustainable harvesting of underutilized plant species.

Through the commercialization of underutilized plant species rural producersstand to gain in several ways:

increased and alternative incomesconservation of valuable and traditional underutilized plant speciesconservation of culture associated with underutilized plant speciesfood security and sources of income for future generationsknowledge gained through training in primary or even secondaryprocessing and business skillsoutside recognition of the importance of underutilized plantspecies and related traditions.

All stakeholders must recognize that underutilized plant species will remainunderutilized until, and unless markets are found for them. The private sectorhas a role to play in identifying and establishing markets for underutilized plantspecies. However, the lack of private sector representation at the meeting showsthat it is either unwilling or unable to become involved in commercializing thesespecies. This is because it is extremely costly to invest in unknown and untestedproducts. There is a huge risk because it is not known how well these productswill sell. Product development costs are high and marketing is difficult due toconsumers lack of knowledge about the products. If rural producers are tobenefit from underutilized plant species commercialization, the capacity of theprivate sector must be increased and it must be encouraged through incentivesassociated with specific underutilized plant species. Linkages with NGOs and


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Roles and responsibilitiesContinue to develop NUS work as planned. Take opportunities to use NUS examples in work where there arevarious options.Use contacts and skills to raise awareness of NUS. Use genebank linkages to foster ex situ and in situ links throughcomplementary conservation approaches.Use information sharing and information capacity building skills forthe benefit of NUS.Use experience in taking a multidisciplinary approach to tackle thecomplexity of NUS work.Intend to pursue research interests on food diversity and quality,nutrition, health link – many new partnership options.Will take a fusion of the commodity chain and sustainablelivelihoods approaches and thereby look after the interests of thecustodians of NUS germplasm and of biodiversity at the same timeas trying to develop crops commercially.Use networking to develop both communities of practice onNUS and bring new partners into the NUS arena (analogy withMusa Genomics Consortium).

Lessons/insights/reinforcements of positionFortunate to have a donor/policy champion like Germany; this isessential. IPGRI will endeavour to work even more closely with the GFU andexplore complementarities and collaborative opportunities.Should not be afraid of the complexity and specificity of NUS work– that is the challenge that has to be met strategically.NUS is an ideal arena for pursuing people-centred ‘pro-poorresearch’.Proactivity is needed, for example, towards the private sector IPGRI is committed to impact assessment work and development ofindicators for monitoring and evaluation of NUS work to helparticulate the success of activities and point ways to furtherimprove the approaches taken for optimum impact.

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New insights gained include:there is a lot of knowledge on a range of crops/species for food,health, income and biodiversitythe complexity of the issue is a challenge with which to worknetworking is important to exchange experiences, know-how, toolsfor productionthere is a need for information exchange between practitioners,researchers and political decision-makerswith regard to the Millenium Development Goals, there are manyways to go, underutilized plant species can and will play a role inachieving these goals, we need to increase the relevantknowledge/information at the top level, underutilized plant speciesare one tool for reaching the Millenium Development Goals, butthey may be the tool on a regional/national or district levelwe have learnt a lot.

There should be a follow-up meeting with a strong focus on political decision-makers. BMZ funding for the GFU will continue until 2005.

Lyndsey Withers, International Plant Genetic Resources InstituteInternational Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) credentials are:

30 years in plant genetic resources (PGR) work; 15 years onneglected and underutilized species (NUS), GFU hostGermany is a valued partner in NUS work, the partnership is veryimportant in regard to IPGRI’s way of working in terms ofcollaboration, facilitation and capacity buildingIPGRI’s partnership network is wide and includes a number ofplayers present or involved in the meeting, i.e. FAO, ICUC, UNEP,UNDP, IFAD, other CGIAR centresnote IPGRI’s convening role for CGIAR SGRP, and representation,for example, at WSSD IPGRI’s institutional network is wide – over 25 locations.


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Acronyms

BMZ Ministry of Economic Co-operation and DevelopmentCBD Convention on Biological DiversityCBOs Community-Based OrganizationCGIAR Consultative Group on International Agricultural ResearchCIAT International Centre for Tropical AgricultureCIP International Potato CenterCITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered SpeciesCTA Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-operationEIARD European Initiative for Agricultural Research for DevelopmentFAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United NationsGFAR Global Forum on Agricultural ResearchGFU Global Facilitation Unit for Underutilized SpeciesGPA Global Plan of Action for the Conservation and Sustainable

Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and AgricultureGTZ German Agency for Technical Co-operationIARC International Agricultural Research CentreICUC International Centre for Underutilized CropsIFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development IIAP International Federation of Agricultural ProducersInWEnt Capacity Building InternationalIPGRI International Plant Genetic Resources Institute IPK Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant ResearchITPGR International Treaty on Plant Genetic ResourcesIUCN World Conservation UnionNARS National Agricultural Research SystemsNGOs Non-Governmental OrganizationPGR Plant Genetic ResourcesSUPS Sustainable Utilization of Plant SpeciesUNDP United Nations Development ProgrammeUNEP United Nations Environment ProgrammeUNESCO Educational, Scientific and Cultural OrganizationUNIDO United Nations Industrial Development OrganizationUPS Underutilized Plant SpeciesWFP World Food ProgrammeWIPO World International Property OrganizationWWF WorldWide Fund for Nature


InWEnt – Capacity Building International, Germany

InWEnt Capacity Building International, GermanyDepartment 5 – Environment, Natural Resources and FoodDivision Natural Resources and Biodiversity in Leipzig-ZschortauLeipziger Strasse 1504509 ZschortauGermany

phone: +49(0)342 02– 8457-00fax: +49(0)342 02– 8457-77email: [email protected]

InWEnt – Capacity Building International,Germany – is engaged in organisationaldevelopment and institutional strengthe-ning. Its shareholders are the GermanGovernment, the German Federal Statesand private sector constituencies.

InWEnt enables people to initiate andshape sustainable development in theirnations, economies and civil societies –by high-ranking policy dialogue events,practice-oriented advanced training aswell as intercultural learning experiences.

Principal clients include besides the Ger-man Government and Federal States, theEuropean Union, multilateral bodies suchas the World Bank, the InternationalMonetary Fund, the World Trade Organisa-tion and the United Nations, as well asprivate foundations and companies.

With offices in more than 35 locations inGermany and abroad, InWEnt’s 900 staffmembers are dedicated to train annuallymore than 35,000 programme partici-pants worldwide.

underutilized plant species and poverty alleviation · moringa and other highly nutritious plant...

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