role of biodiversity in food security
TRANSCRIPT
FOOD SECURITY AND
BIO-DIVERSITY
6-Oct-14
2
CONTENT Introduction to Food Security
Linking Biodiversity with Food Security
Challenges to biodiversity friendly agriculture
Use of Biodiversity in Food and Agriculture in practice
Some International Conventions on Issues of Food
Security and Biodiversity
Role of Indian Government
Recommendations
Conclusion
CHALLENGES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Four of major global challenges identified by the UN are:
Energy crisisClimate changeFood insecurityLoss of biodiversity
Food Security - Meaning
Food Security exists, when all people, atall times, have physical and economicaccess to sufficient, safe and nutritious foodto meet their dietary needs and foodpreference for an active and healthy life.
(World Food Summit, Rome, 1996)
Four dimensions of Food Security
Food
Security
Physical Availability of Food
The supply side, determined by the levelof food production, stock level & net trade.
Economic & Physical access to FoodAdequate supply of food does not guarantee household level food security. Food access depends on incomes, expenditure, markets &
prices in achieving food security objectives
Food UtilizationThe way the body makes the most of various nutrients in the food. Involves care & feeding practices, food preparation, diversity of diet
& intra-household distribution of food.
Stability of the other 3 dimensions over time
Access on a periodic basis. Weather, political conditions or economic factors have an impact on food security status.
Stark Realties
▪ India ranked 10th largest Economy of world on nominal GDP basis and 3rd largest on economy on PPP(purchasing power parity) basis
But India has…………..
• 29% of the 872.9 million undernourished people (FAO)
• 49% of the world’s underweight children (WHO)
• 34% of the world’s stunted children (WHO)
• Over 46% undernourished children (WHO)
• India is ranked 67 way below neighboring countries
like China, Nepal & Pakistan in 2011 Global Hunger Index by the IFPRI.
▪ According to the latest data on child under nutrition from 2005–10, Indiaranked second to last on child underweight out of 129countries— below Ethiopia, Niger, Nepal, and Bangladesh.Only Timor-Leste had a higher rate of underweight children.
▪ 21% of India’s population undernourished,
▪ nearly 44% of below the age of 5 children are underweight
Year Rank in Hunger index
Out of total no. of countries
Score Status
1990 31.73 Alarming
2007 94 118 25.03. Alarming
2008 66 88 23.70 Alarming
2009 65 88 23.90 Alarming
2010 67 84 24.10 Alarming
2011 67 81 24.2 Alarming
2012 65 79 22.9 Alarming
Source:-Global Hunger Report, IFPRI
Performance on Global Hunger Index
Projected Scenario of 2020
Crop Projected demand during 2020by NCAP
Estimated production for 2020 (estimated by presenter )
Demandprojected for Vision 2020 (by planning commission)
Supplyprojection for scenario of Business as usual (BAU)
Supply projection for Best case scenario (BCS)
Rice 130 117.08 119 125 207
Wheat 110 105.64 92 108 173
Coarse grains 34.92 15.6 13 14
Total Cereals 236.99 262.2 226.6 246 394
Pulses 43.61 42.8 19.5 16 23
Total food grain
280.6 278.62 246.1 262 417
Oilseed 85.33 40.62
Table No. 20 (in million tonnes)
Source: Policy Brief on demand for foodgrains during2020,Ramesh Chand, NCAP, New Delhi
WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY?The full range of variety and variability within and among living organisms and the ecological complexes in which they occur.
It encompasses:Ecosystem or community diversitySpecies diversityGenetic diversity
(US Congressional Biodiversity Act, 1990)
Agro-biodiversity
Although the term "agricultural biodiversity" is relatively new - it has come into wide use
in recent years as evidenced by bibliographic references - the concept itself is quite old.
It is the result of the careful selection and inventive developments of farmers, herders
and fishers over millennia. Agricultural biodiversity is a vital sub-set of biodiversity. It is a
creation of humankind whose food and livelihood security depend on the sustained
management of those diverse biological resources that are important for food and
agriculture. Agricultural biodiversity, also known as agro-biodiversity or the genetic
resources for food and agriculture, includes:
Harvested crop varieties, livestock breeds, fish species and non- domesticated ('wild')
resources within field, forest, rangeland and in aquatic ecosystems;
Non-harvested species within production ecosystems that support food provision,
including soil micro-biota, pollinators and so on; and
Non-harvested species in the wider environment that support food production
ecosystems (agricultural, pastoral, forest and aquatic ecosystems).
COMPONENTS OF AGROBIODIVERSITY
Agro-ecosystems comprise poly-cultures, monocultures, and mixed systems, including
crop-livestock systems (rice - fish), agro-forestry, agro-silvo-pastoral systems,
aquaculture as well as rangelands, pastures and fallow lands.
Their interactions with human activities, including socio-economic activity and socio-
cultural diversity, are determinant.
Some of the key functions for maintaining stable, robust, productive and sustainable
agro-ecosystems may include the following : breakdown of organic matter and recycling
of nutrients to maintain soil fertility and sustain plant and consequently animal growth;
breakdown of pollutants and maintenance of a clean and healthy atmosphere;
moderation of climatic effects such as maintaining rainfall patterns and modulation of
the water cycle and the absorption of solar energy by the land and its subsequent
release;
maintenance and stability of productive vegetative, fish and animal populations and the
limitation of invasion by harmful or less useful species;
protection and conservation of soil and water resources, for example through a
vegetative cover and appropriate management practices, and the consequent
maintenance of the integrity of landscapes and habitats;
sequestration of CO2 by plants.
Current Scenario
75% of the world’s food generated from only 12 plant and 5
animal species
Only three crops (rice, maize and wheat) contribute ~ 60% of
calories and proteins obtained by humans from plants
Rapid decline in biodiversity is a threat to food security
through
– Introduction of exotic species
– Loss of gene pool
– Neglected/underutilized species
– Monocultures
– Biofuels
BIODIVERSITY AND FOOD SECURITY
Since the 1900s, 75 % of plant genetic diversity has beenlost as farmers have worldwide left their multiple localvarieties and landraces for genetically uniform, high-yieldingvarieties
These varieties require more water, high input of chemicalfertilizers and pesticides which deteriorate the environment– increased salinity
– increased waterlogging
– depletion of nutrients
Use of few genetically modified varieties and breeds inmonocultures has replaced well-adapted old cultivars
30 % of livestock breeds are at risk of extinction; six breedsare lost each month
INTRODUCED SPECIES/CROPS
Introduced species rank second to habitat destruction inthreatening the biodiversity
They compete with native flora/fauna for resources andcompetitively exclude native species
They rapidly invade valuable cultivated lands (Mesquite)
Accompany new pests and weeds (Mealybug infestation)
Retard seed germination and plant growth of native plants byreleasing allelopathic chemicals (Eucalyptus & Parthenium)
Mealybug
Mealybug infestation
Eucalyptus
Parthenium
Prosopis glandulosa
INTRODUCED SPECIES/CROPS
Challenges to biodiversity friendly agriculture
Population growth
The world’s population is expected to grow to nine billion by the year 2050 . If the
current model of commercialised monoculture is to be followed, feeding the global
population is stated to require the conversion of yet more wild lands, at the expense
of biodiversity and ecosystem service provision .
It is estimated that a billion hectares of natural habitat will need to be converted to
agricultural production, especially once the effects of climate change on crop yields
are taken into account.
Demand for meat is increasing globally, particularly from
the evergrowing urban populations of India and China, and as
the world becomes increasingly prosperous.
Meat production is a notoriously inefficient use of resources
and the implications of this are that a greater proportion of
grains and oilseeds are being used to feed livestock
and poultry, rather than people .
Climate change
Climate change and its potential impacts represent one of the greatest contemporary
threats to food security.
Extreme and unpredictable weather affects crop yields and it is estimated that
agricultural yields in Africa alone could decline by more than 30 percent by
2050 .Such yield decline will primarily affect the world’s poor, who will not only lose
direct access to food but are less capable of absorbing the global commodity price
changes that characterise a reduction in supply.
Climate-related events are being blamed for the recent spike in the price of staple
foods .
Bio-diverse multi-functional landscapes are more resilient
to extreme weather effects and can provide a “natural insurance
policy against climate change” .
Greater crop diversification by integrating a diversity of crops and varieties
into small-holder systems in particular will increase resilience to severe
changes in weather patterns leading to calls for “sustainable agriculture” .
More diverse agricultural systems not only increase resilience against
extreme climate-related events but can also increase yields.
Small scale shifting cultivators have been practicing biodiversity
friendly for generations and farmers around the world clearly understand and
use agro-biodiversity to mitigate against environmental and climatic
uncertainty.
Agricultural investment
International funding for agricultural development has dropped significantly over
the last decade and is now at an historic low, representing around 3% of total
overseas aid.
Crop yields have fallen in many regions primarily due to declining investments
in agricultural research, irrigation and infrastructure.
Structural adjustment programmes also disaggregated agriculture from wider
natural resource management (NRM) initiatives. Thus NRM and agriculture
have been artificially divided. Unfortunately for the millions of small-holder farmers
who are responsible for the vast majority of food production, bio-cultural diversity
and agricultural production these lines are considerably less well defined.
BIOFUELS AND FOOD SECURITY
Currently, biofuels have been praised as a solution to energyinsecurity and climate change
Increased conversion of agricultural commodities to biofuelsplays a key role in increasing international food prices(United Nations, 2007)
Approximately 70-75% of the increase in food commodityprices from 2002 to 2008 was mainly due to biofuels (WorldBank )
Subsidies and other fiscal tools aimed at promoting the useof biofuels, have decisively contributed to a rising demandfor sugar, maize, wheat, oilseeds, and palm oil
A food/fuel competition could be observed as global wheatand maize stocks are declining considerably
BIOFUELS AND FOOD SECURITY
http://www.thebioenergysite.com/articles/200/eu-and-uks-progress-to-biofuel-introduction
ANTHROPOGENIC THREATS
Biodiversity is being eroded through:
– Soil mismanagement (erosion, pollution)
– Salinization of irrigated areas
– Dry-land degradation from overgrazing
– Over-extraction of ground water
– increasing susceptibility to diseases and pests
Erosion Salinization OvergrazingDrought Deep water-table
The use of biodiversity for food and agriculture in practice
Agro-forestry
Agro-forestry is the use of trees and shrubs in crop or animal production and land
management systems.
It is estimated that trees occur on 46% of all agricultural lands and support 30% of
all rural populations . Trees are used in many traditional and modern farming and
rangeland systems.
Agro-forestry systems and practices come in many forms, including improved
fallows, taungya (growing annual agricultural crops during the establishment of a
forest plantation), home gardens, growing multi-purpose trees and shrubs, boundary
planting, farm woodlots, orchards, plantation/crop combinations.
The multi-species composition of home gardens contributes to efficient
nutrient cycling and resource use and conserves biodiversity while providing
relatively secure livelihood support through product diversification .
Alley cropping involves the cultivation of fast-growing legume trees in rows,
usually 4– 5 metres apart within the fields where food crops are grown.
Many local, underutilized and neglected tree species are used
for this purpose. Many are leguminous, with the added benefit of fixing
atmospheric nitrogen.
The tree–crop combination enhances the efficiency of land use and reduces
the need for fallow periods, making continuous cultivation possible and
sustainable.
The use of trees and shrubs in agricultural systems helps to tackle the triple
challenge of securing food security, reducing the vulnerability and increasing
the adaptability of agricultural systems to climate change, and mitigating
climate change.
Crop and livestock production
. Mixed systems enable the integration of different enterprises on the
farm; livestock provide draught power and manure, while crop residues are
fed to livestock. Deriving income from multiple sources (livestock and
crops) offers farmers options for buffering crop failures or animal disease
outbreaks .
In India, improved dual-purpose varieties of sorghum and millet
have allowed smallholders to increase the milk production of buffalos and
cows by up to 50% without reducing the grain output from their crops
In the upland areas of the midlands of Sri Lanka, monoculture coconut
systems were replaced by a diversified system combining tree crops
(coconut and fruits), root crops and herbs with dairy cattle, goats and
poultry, with the main goal of increasing farm income.
Crop and fish production
fish culture and rice farming are complementary
activities:
fish not only play a direct role in regulating pest
populations but also provide additional income
which raises the economic threshold for chemical
control of rice pests to a higher level than would be
considered critical in rice monocultures.
Indigenous fish species and breeds, such as
dhela (Rohtee cotio) and thai sarpunti
(Barbonymus gonionotus) in Bangladesh, respond
better in mixed culture than commonly cultured
breeds.
Integrated culture not only yields a variety of
products from the same unit of land but also
increases rice yields (both grain and straw),
particularly on poorer soils and unfertilized crops
Pollination
Animal pollination provides a highly effective pollination
service for better seed set and fruit quality and quantity,
particularly pollination by wild bees and honey bees.
Pollinators contribute to the yield and quality of output of at
least 70% of the major crops used directly by humans for food
and these crops contribute about 35% of the total amount of
food produced.
In some instances pollinator diversity may be even more
important than pollinator density as has been reported for
almond, coffee ,pumpkin, and sunflower grown for hybrid seed
production .
In this last study, the pollination efficiency of honey bee
foragers was enhanced up to 5 times by the presence of wild
bees.
MONOCULTURE VS POLYCULTURE
A key component of maintenance of biodiversity is theintroduction and maintenance of high genetic diversity in thefields
Genetically different plants can complement each otherusing different resource niches (long-rooted and shallowrooted crops), thereby increasing overall resource useefficiency
This idea leads to the hypothesis that the advantage of usingcrop diversity over using monocultures may increase along agradient of increasing environmental variability
In this regard, Döring et al. (2010) showed that the yieldadvantage of diverse populations over monocultures wasparticularly prevalent under stress conditions, i.e. when theenvironment affects yields negatively
MONOCULTURE VS POLYCULTURE
http://www.efrc.com/manage/authincludes/article_uploads/Research/Plant breeding/WBL web.pdf
Universal Declaration on Human Rights Article 25: “Everyone has the
right to a standard of living adequate for the health
and well-being of himself and of his family, including food”.
Efforts to link biodiversity, food and nutrition issues are expected to contribute to
achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG),
in particular number 1C:
which aims to “reduce by half, by 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from
hunger”.
Also linked to Goal 7A: “Integrate the principles of sustainable development and reverse
the loss of environmental resources”.
Selected policy and legislative frameworks
related to biodiversity and food security:
Convention of Biological Diversity: Main conclusions on the CBD cross-
cutting initiative on biodiversity for food and nutrition:
“Biodiversity is essential for food security and nutrition and offers key options for
sustainable livelihoods.
Existing knowledge warrants the sustainable use of biodiversity in food security and
nutrition programmes as a contribution to the
achievement of the Millennium Development Goals”.
International Convention on Economic Cultural and Social Rights : the right to
adequate food from productive
land or other natural resources.: the right to the highest attainable standard of health.
Conditions to achieve this
include access to adequate food and nutrition.
FAO’s Strategic Framework 2000–2015 stipulates that the Organization is
expected to take fully into account “progress
made in further developing a rights-based approach to food security” in carrying out its
mission “helping to build a food and secure world for present and future generations.”
Chennai Declaration: “Biodiversity is the raw material for food and health security,
as well as for the biotechnology industry,
and it must be conserved to ensure that it can continue in this function so that farming
systems become climate resilient”.
IFPRI 2020 Vision: “is a world where every person has access to
sufficient food to sustain a healthy and productive life, where
malnutrition is absent and where food originates from effective, efficient and
low-cost food systems that are compatible with
the sustainable use of natural resources”.
Rome Declaration on World Food Security: “Agricultural production
increases need to be achieved while ensuring both
productive capacity, sustainable management of natural resources and
protection of the environment”
While humankind has used more than 7,000 plant species for food purposes, agricultural research has concentrated on very few of these species. Over half of the protein and food energy we consume is now met by three crops only: maize, wheat and rice. The narrowing base of global food and nutrition security limits people’s livelihood options, particularly for those living in developing countries. While major crops and commodities receive considerable attention in national and international agricultural research and development policies, other crops and species are largely ignored and their sustainable conservation and use is in jeopardy.
To achieve the MDG on extreme poverty and hunger, policy-makers must pay greater attention to the cultivation and use of plant biodiversity, including locally important crops, such as millets, legumes, leafy vegetables, tubers, fruits and medicinal and aromatic plants.
Govt. Measures for Food Security(in India)
•National Food Security Mission•Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana•Mid Day Meal •ICDS (integrated Child Development Scheme),•National Food Security Act 2013.
National Food Security Mission
Source: Economic Survey,2013
•NFSM was launched in Aug,2007 byGOI with an aim of achieving anadditional production of 10,8 and 2million tonnes of paddy, wheat andpulses respectively by the end of2011-12.•A sum of Rs. 3381 crore has beenspent till 31March, 2011.
▪ Following table below shows the performance of Mission over different benchmarks.
benchmark years
Crop
2006-07 2007-08 2008-09
Paddy 10.97 7.63 5.14
wheat 18.09 15.33 13.22
pulses 3.01 2.45 2.64
Table No.21 ( in million tonnes)
Performance of NFSM
Note: Calculated by presenter based on data available from RBI hand book of Indian Economy, 2011-12
2007-08 2008-09 2009-10
2010-11 2011-12
Growth in GDP for Agriculture and allied Sectors (%), base year
2004-05
5.8 0.1 0.8 7.9 3.6
Table No. 22
Source:-Economic Survey,2013
Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana
•Started in 2007-08 for incentivizing states to enhancepublic investment to achieve 4% growth rate in agricultureand allied sectors during the 11th five year plan. During 2007-11 an amount of Rs.14598 was released.
•50% of urban and 75% of rural population becovered under Act.•Guarantees providing 5 kg food grain per personper month at a subsidised rate to 67% of thecountry's population.•82 crore people in both urban and rural areas.•Food grains would include rice, wheat and milletat Rs.3, Rs.2 and Rs.1 per kg, respectively.
National Food Security Act 2013
•In year 2011-12 FCI procured 66.35 milliontonnes of Food grains and off take was 56.28million tonnes. The stock at the end of theperiod was 53.44 million tonnes. Hence therequirement of 61 million tonnes can be meteasily without impacting the functioning ofFood grain markets.
THANK YOU