Agrobiodiversity in food systems, ecosystems and education systems Per Rudebjer Bioversity International Presented at regional workshop on Learning agrobiodiversity: options for universities in Sub-Saharan Africa January, 2009, ICRAF House, Nairobi, Kenya

What is agrobiodiversity? Why is it important? How should it be taught? Abilities for managing agricultural biodiversity?

What is agrobiodiversity? Subset of biological diversity of relevance to food and agriculture ·Managed Plants, animals, trees, domesticated by farmers Improved varieties Trees outside forests ·Wild Forests Crop wild relatives Aquatic systems Agro-ecosystems ·Ecological services Animal, plants, micro-organisms Pollinators Nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, etc. Local knowledge

Perceptions of agrobiodiversity Plant breeding

Perceptions of agrobiodiversity? Conservation, genebanks

Perceptions of agrobiodiversity National parks

Perceptions of agrobiodiversity Farmers’ traditional farming systems

Food systems: Modern vs. traditional Traditional Domestication by farmers during millennia Traditional knowledge Low input, risk mitigation Informal seed systems Local/national markets Integrated market chains Neglected by policy makers Limited investment in innovation and education Modern Advanced breeding, ‘designer’ varieties Scientific knowledge High input & productivity Commercial seeds Global commodities Specialization Policy-intensive Dominates R&D investments Millions of farmers depending on traditional systems Custodians of important agrobiodiversity

Modern varieties replacing landraces

Domination of few commodity crops 50 % : Maize, wheat, rice 45 % : 27 species 30 species provide 95% of our food Maize, wheat, rice, provide 50 % of global energy intake 7000 plant species have been used for food or animal feed Many neglected, underutilized species

Animal genetic resources 20% of the worlds’ breeds at risk 9% extinct

Forest genetic resources Change in extent of forest % /year 0.64% /year 0.62% /year 0.18% /year Source: FAO FRA 2005 Africa accounting for half of worlds’ loss of forests

Forest genetic resources 7% of native tree species in African countries endangered of vulnerable ·South Africa: 54 of 649 species ·Democratic republic of Congo: 51 of 870 species ·Kenya 67 endagered/vulnarable species Little known about species’ ecology, populations Genetic erosion Source: IUCN red list

Food systems and genetic erosion Supermarkets & changing food habits Intensification of agriculture Population growth Land conversion, degradation

Can our food systems make better use a broader range of agrobiodiversity? Growing interest in exotic food Organic agriculture, fair trade Specialty food, e.g. cacao or coffee Neglected and Underutilized Species ·Minor millets; African leafy vegetables; Local fruit trees ·Crops for the Future launched in 2008 Participatory breeding of traditional varieties

Agrobiodiversity in ecosystems Environmental services ·Continued adaptation and evolution ·Pollination ·Soil processes, carbon and nutrient cycling ·Watershed functions ·Cultural and aesthetic values

Time Space Scale Ecosystem Species Within species Dynamic change, complex drivers Externalities & trade-offs Ensuring continued provision of ecosystems services

CBD: programme on agrobiodiversity; Platform on Agrobiodiversity Research (PAR) UNCCD: farmers’ management of diversity in dryland areas UNFCCC: agrobiodiversity for adaptation to climate change Link to international conventions and processes

FAO Commission on Agricultural Biodiversity International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, 2002 Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources 2007 ·‘education and training in order to build sustainable capacity in all priority areas is required’ State of the World’s Forest Genetic Resources UN Year of Biodiversity 2010

Options to slow down, or reverse the decline of ecosystems services? Landscape approach to biodiversity conservation Schemes for Payments for Environmental Services ·Biodiversity, watershed functions, carbon storage Agro-tourism Making better use of a broader range of agricultural biodiversity

Agrobiodiversity in educational systems Agrobiodiveristy: a fairly new concept Only recently started to appear, in a rather limited way, in some university curricula Elements of ABD taught in various courses, but no established approach

How is agrobiodiversity taught? Programmes/courses oriented towards a specific disciplines ·E.g. seed science, plant breeding, crop science, agricultural economics, horticulture, biotechnology, agronomy Less scope for holistic and multidisciplinary agrobiodiversity processes

Agrobiodiversity: emerging areas of learning Plant breeding for a warmer world with more people Breeding for low-input agriculture Participatory plant breeding and varietal selection Nutrition, health and food systems Market chains for neglected, underutilized species

Agrobiodiversity: emerging areas of learning 3 levels of diversity: agroecosystems, species and within species Ecological and socio-economic processes that connect these levels Functions of fragmented landscapes, geneflow Soil biodiversity Payments for environmental services

Context for learning Uncertainty and evolving knowledge base Combination scientific and traditional knowledge Participation and focus on farmer’s realities Relevant practical learning experiences

Options to be validated in this workshop Introducing elements of agrobiodiversity in existing courses and programmes, at different levels Agrobiodiversity in next curriculum review? Scope for Master programmes in agrobiodiversity?

Partnerships for innovation Thank you! EAPGREN CoL FAO