AGRICULTURE + HORTICULTURE FISHING DOMESTIC ANIMALS SILVICULTURE BEE-KEEPING HUNTING GATHERING USEFUL PRODUCTIVE BIODIVERSITY YUCATEC MAYA HOUSEHOLD

Weeds (quelites) as food crop. San Bartolo del Llano, Ixtlahuaca, México. Quelites. – 74 quelite species all useful. – Used as food, fodder, medicinals, etc. – 4.5 kg quelite/family/month. – One hectare of milpa produces 1,5 t/ha of quelite and represents 25% of the total value of maize ( approx 200 dollars).

Peasants, industrial agriculture and Agrobiodiversity 40 species of domestic animals 7,6l6 animal breeds 1,9 million crop varieties since 1960 freely available to humankind 5 species of domestic animals < 500 animal breeds Green Revolution: 8,000 new crop varieties since 1970 Indusrial breeders: 72,500 varieties (under IPR protection)

Who feeds us today???

Family farmers in Brasil Control 24 % of arable land 84% of the farms Give three times more employment than agribusiness Produce 87% cassava, 70% beans, 46% maize, 50% poultry and 59% swine

Small biodiverse are more productive Small farms are much more productive than large farms if total output is considered rather than yield from a single crop. Biodiverse farms which produce grains, fruits, vegetables, fodder, and animal products out-produce yield per unit of single crops such as corn (monocultures) on large-scale farms. Productivity in polycultures developed by smallholders in terms of harvestable products per unit area is higher than under sole cropping with the same level of management