1. Roles of On-farm Conservation and Underutilized Crops in the Wake of Climate Change Bhuwon Sthapit, Stefano Padulosi & Bhag Mal Bioversity International 17-18 December 2009, ISPGR, New Delhi

2. Climate change is already happening! Jarvis, FAO meeting, 2008 What do the 21 models say?

3. Summary Climate change will happen, no matter what It will get hotter, some places dryer, others wetter We still don’t know what will happen in some places Both challenges and opportunities in agriculture

4. Implications of climate change critical to agriculture Sufficient evidence CC is already eroding biodiversity –landraces and wild relatives Long term and irreversible Consequences of CC on species diversity Changes in distribution Increased extinction rates Changes in phenology Proliferation of weeds and pests and invasive species The suitability of species/genotypes changes in both positive and negative ways

5. Magnitude of climate change

6. Average changes in suitability for the HADCM3 model (top) and CCCMA model (bottom). Blue = increase in suitability Red = reduction in suitability. Crops include Annex 1 of ITPGRFA Other cash crops Jarvis, FAO Meeting, 2008 Changes in crop suitability

7. Impacts of climate change on crops From Lobell et al., 2008. Science319:607-610

8. Community concerns Climate variability and risk has always been a part of agriculture Community concern is always with increase uncertainty in climatic variables –speed of change! Extreme events, their frequencies and predictability! Knowledge gap on how these farmers and communities are coping with climate change over the years? Bring together two knowledge systems

9. Farmer’s strategy: Diversity for adversity Portfolio of farming practices –Integrated crop-livestock-tree farming –Crop diversification –Farming with perennials (e.g. home gardens; agro-forestry) –Livestock diversity adds resilience to agricultural production systems Portfolio of management practices –-Enriching soil carbon – Seed priming – Minimum tillage practices

10. Farmer’s strategy: Diversity for adversity Portfolio of farming system Portfolio of management practices Portfolio of crop varieties –69 cultivars –Bhatti-wetter years –Southyari-extreme drier years –Mansara-marginal Southyari

11. Gene Bank (ex situ) Breeding FORMAL SYSTEM Seed production Seed quality control Distribution Seed Planting Cultivation Harvest Storage INFORMAL SYSTEM 75-97% Exchange Consumption Market Farmers On-farm conservation/on-farm management: adapt, evolve and buffer Forest / wild 1. Saved own 2. Barter/gift 3. Sale/purchase 3-25%

12. On-farm conservation  On-farm conservation of agricultural biodiversity refers to the maintenance of traditional crop varieties (landraces) or cropping systems by farmers within in the natural habitats where they occur-in farmers’ fields and uncultivated plant communities. (Altieri and Merrick, 1987)

13.  Conserve the evolutionary processes of local adaptation of crops to local conditions;  Conserve diversity at all levels; ecosystem, species and intra-specific (genetic) levels –adaptation strategy for CC  Conserve ecosystem services and functions  Conserve diversity for livelihoods for resource poor farmers  Maintain or increase farmers’ control over and access to genetic resources  Maintain traditional knowledge in the community  Integrate farming community to national conservation efforts  Support national commitment to the CBD, ITPGRFA and farmer’s rights Why On-farm conservation?

14. Far WHAT: The amount and distribution of genetic diversity maintained by farmers over time and space HOW: The processes used to maintain genetic diversity on- farm WHO: The people who maintain genetic diversity on-farm and who make decisions WHY: The factors that influence farmer decision making to maintain diversity Basic questions to understand farmer management of crop diversity

15. -LN(1-Farm evenness) 0.00.51.01.52.0 LN Farm richness 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 Black circle = staples Gray circle = non-staples Landrace richness and evenness at the farm level Above the line: High dominance with much richness at low frequencies: Diversity maintained as an insurance to meet change Below the line More even frequency distribution: Farmers are selecting varieties to serve current needs Neutral function Results are GLOBAL – for all crops and all countries Ln Farm richness -Ln (1- Farm evenness) Jarvis et al. 2008 PNAS 105 (14):5326-5331

16. Many households, Large areas Few households, Small areas Few households, Large areas Many households, Small areas Participatory extent and distribution analysis Four-cell diversity analysis as a widely adapted tool

17. CBM platform: Participatory learning for understanding local crop diversity and associated traditional knowledge Rice diversity in Begnas village, Nepal

18. Who maintains diversity and how? Social seed network What is farmer system? own saved seed exchange gifts purchase Who is nodal farmer? high frequency of exchange seed and information to other farmers Diversity Flexibility Selection Who is innovator? search select maintain exchange Meta-population Theory migration colonization

19. Size of networks-large vs. small; open vs. close network (Paudel et al., 2008) Social seed network and system resilience Vulnerable to climate change Community interventions? Resilient to climate change

20. Community bio- diversity register/ Community seed bank National Genebank Options VA PPB Diversity fair/ kits * Household seed store Formal Breeding Farmer’s seed supply system Community-based PGR management Strengthening Local Capacity for Community led Climate Change Adaptation (Source: Sthapit and Jarvis, 1999)

21. Consolidating role of farmers as conservers, promoters of diversity and as dynamic Innovators to cope climate change! Basic concerns:(1) ACCESS;(2) IPR;(3) MARKET;(4) BIOSAFETY (Sajise et al., 2007) Wild relatives Selection Field Farmer Varieties Farmer’s seed system Outside Farmer’s Varieties (1, 2, 3) Selection (1, 2, 3) PPB (1, 2, 3) Selection Biotechnology (4) Adapted gene pool Breeders’ Varieties Breeders’ seed system Commercial farmers (1, 2, 3) Community seed bank and exchange Plant, animal microbe species (1, 2, 3) UPOV - NDUS Patent – ND New, non-obvious inventive step, utility Certification DUS (1, 2, 3) Selection

22. Knowledge /skills Social customs/practices Rules/ institutions CBM Creating local varieties Improve on-farm conservation Conceptual framework for using genetic diversity to adapt to climate change Farmers empowerment Community based genetic resource management (e.g. PVS, PPB) Adaptation Mitigation

23. In-situ/On-farm Conservation Empowerment Incentive CBM Community Relations between CBM, in situ conservation and Empowerment Pre-condition CBM is a good practice for empowering community A method to realize in situ /on-farm conservation

24. Steps for establishing CBM  Enhancing community awareness  Understanding local biodiversity, social networks and institutions  Capacity building of community institution  Setting up of institutional working modalities  Consolidating community roles in planning and implementation  Establishing a CBM trust fund  Community monitoring, evaluation and social auditing  Social learning and scaling up for community collective actions

25. Partners in Change and Innovation Research Institutes Farmers’ Organisations Development Agencies Extension Services NGOs Agri-business Policy Bodies Environmentalist associations Consumer organisations Implementing Institutions A new role in institutional & professional capacity building Cultivating partnership-3Ms

26. Challenges  If genetic resources are going to conserved on-farm, it must happen as a spin off of farmer’s production and livelihood strategies.  This means conservation efforts must be carried out within the framework of farmer’s livelihood, income and cultural values.

27. What are the strategies for on-farm conservation and livelihood gains? STRATEGIES Improve access of materials and information Develop market incentives for traditional varieties Improve competitiveness of local varieties

28. Large area; Few HHs Small area; Many HHs Small area; Few HHs Large area; Many HHs Ex situ conservation On-farm conservation Improve materials Value addition Market links Strategic decisions: Empowering community for setting development and conservation agenda Recognition Improve access CBR

29. Community action 1: Improved access to unique materials and information to wider groups Good practices Diversity fairs Diversity blocks Diversity kits CBR Community seed bank 1998 1 HH Diversity fair 2000 Diversity block 7HH 2001 70 Diversity kits 2002 195 HHs 1998 Rare 2002 Common Improved access by community actions; many examples Luffa cylindrica L. Traits: aroma, taste, delayed net

30. Momordica cochinchinensis L. Sechium edule L. Trewia nudiflora L. Luffa cylindrica L. Cyphomandra betacea L. Coccinea grandis L. Cucurbita moschata L. Capsicum microcarpum L. Dolichos lablab L.Brassica juncea var. rayo Dioscorea spp. L.Colocasia esculenta L. Community Action 2: Maximize use of diversity-NUS- Crops for the future using PPB methods There will never be enough plant breeders for all crops for all situations!

31. Community action 3: Enhance local materials Diversity assessment N=338 Market survey Selection of preferred traits Post harvest trait On-farm testing & Seed production Production Marketing Trait: Ability to elongate 12 mm after cooking

32. What do we need to do? Understand and use the intra-specific diversity among the traditional varieties maintained by farmers Adapt breeding programs to develop genetic resources adapted to intra-specific mixtures (Finckh 2008) Integrating diverse trees, livestock, aquatics species and crops (including NUS) to buffer changing environmental conditions and improve resilience capacity What you grow today might not be what you need tomorrow

33. What do we need to do? Strengthen farmer seed systems to promote open, dynamic and integrated genetic system to cope climate change at the local level –Empower community for community based conservation actions (e.g. seed fair, diversity kits, CBR, CSB, CBSP) –GB, PVS and PPB Consolidate farmer’s role as conservers, promoter of diversity and dynamic innovator by strengthening farmer’s seed system PGR organization should cultivate new partnership What you grow today might not be what you need tomorrow

34. Quelle: http://www.grida.no/climate/ipcc_tar/slides/ppt/05.19.ppt (courtesy Axel Drescher)http://www.grida.no/climate/ipcc_tar/slides/ppt/05.19.ppt Climate change is already happening Diseases of concern to the US major crops Bacteria causing fire blight in apples Ug99 + related strains of stem rust in wheat New strains of rice blast disease Potato blight is re-emerging Qualset and Shands, 2005 We cannot predict which new pest or pathogen will develop or how the rain will fall next year -- but we can use agricultural biodiversity to have a diverse set of crop varieties in agricultural systems to increase the options to buffer against an unpredictable change. This explains why on-farm conservation can play key role in future!

35. Thank you very much