Biodiversity for wellbeing: The role of women as custodians of biodiversityEmile Frison, Director General, Bioversity International8 March 2013

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Agricultural and Forest Biodiversity

Includes both:

Species used for production (crops, trees, livestock)Species that support the production in the agro ecosystem (soil microbes, pollinators, wind breaks...)

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Increasing reliance on few plants

300,000 100,00030,0007,000120303

•Known plant species

•Used by humankind

•Edible

•Used as food at local level

•Important at national scale

•Provide 90% of plant calories

•Provide 60% (rice, wheat, maize)

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Challenges for food security

75% of the 1.5 billion people living in poverty live in rural areasMalnutrition is increasingEcosystems pushed to their boundariesPollution linked to over use of fertilizers and pesticidesSignificant reduction in useful diversity in agricultureCrop yields affected by erratic weather and new pest and disease outbreaks related to climate change

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Triple burden of malnutrition

Hunger or Undernutrition : Almost 1 billion people suffer from hunger and 3.5 million young children die of undernutrition every year.Hidden hunger: Young children and women are among those most at risk of developing micronutrient deficiencies. Overnutrition and obesity: More than 1.2 billion people are overweight globally. This number is rising quickly and dramatically everywhere. Increasingly in low income countries, under- and overnutrition exist side-by-side along with micronutrient deficiencies (the triple burden).

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Increasing contribution of NCDs to cause of death, in rural Bangladesh (Matlab area, 1986–2006)(Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, some cancers, obesity)

Source: http://www.globalhealthaction.net/index.php/gha/article/view/1904/2301

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Poor smallholder farmers are on the frontline

Smallholder farmers produce 60% of the world’s food yet many live in povertyMost depend on agriculture and forests for their livelihoodWomen make up a substantial part of the rural workforce. They produce 80% of the food in Africa and 60% in Asia, yet are often the last to benefit from economic development.

How can agricultural and forest biodiversity help?

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Resilient & Productive Ecosystems

Livelihoods

Sustainability

Nutrition

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There is increasing evidence that agricultural and forest biodiversity is part of the solution.

Women farmers have a particular role in protecting and managing this biodiversity.

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Women as custodians of biodiversity

“It is essential to recognize that women and men have specific needs, interests, perspectives and aspirations, and that they make different but equally valuable contributions to the conservation and sustainable management of biodiversity”.

(Source: UNESCO)

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Yet …

Women farmers typically achieve yields that are 20-30% lower than men, however, the vast majority of studies suggest that given equal access to resources as men, women would achieve the same or better yields, boosting total agricultural output in developing countries by 2.5 to 4%.

(Source: FAOSTAT)

India: Minor MilletsWork to recapture traditional knowledge of cultivating minor millets and to improve planting techniques, resulted in Indian minor millet growers increasing yields by 70% and income by 30%.

Reduced processing times for minor millets encouraged women to reintroduce these nutritious crops to family diets. They also received training to help them market innovative ‘millet snack foods’ at urban markets and schools.

Bolivia: Quinoa

Bolivia: QuinoaWomen in Bolivia were spending several hours a day removing the saponin layer from traditional quinoa grains before it could be eaten — laborious work usually carried out in the bitter cold of winter just after harvest.

A processing machine reduced the time for the women to process 12kg of quinoa from around 6 hours to about 7 minutes.

Kenya: African Leafy VegetablesWork to revive interest in traditional vegetables that were disappearing from the field and table resulted in:

•increased dietary diversity and quality•economic empowerment of women•more effective management of agricultural pests and diseases.

On average, each farmer in the study area increased their income by US$ 200/year.

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The vital contribution of women

• As farmers, producers of food

• As food processors and marketers

• As custodians of agricultural biodiversity

• As responsible for family nutrition

• As innovators in food systems

But often unrecognized and overlooked

• A gender strategy that addresses issues faced by women farmers

• Tool and technologies accessible and adapted to women

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Womhttp://www.promusa.org/tiki-index.php?page=Banana-producing+countries+portalen

Video:Using local agricultural biodiversity in Kenya

www.bioversityinternational.org

Thank you andhappy International Women’s Day!