biodiversity in the shopping basket: policies to sustain a biodiverse diet
TRANSCRIPT
Biodiversity in the shopping basket:
policies to sustain a biodiverse diet Danny Hunter, Senior Scientist, Bioversity International 6th May 2015
Feeding the world with biodiversity
Bioversity International is a
global research-for-
development organization.
We have a vision – that
agricultural biodiversity
nourishes people and sustains the planet.
Putting diverse nutritious foods back in the
shopping basket
Through:
• More understanding and
knowledge of biodiversity’s
benefits
• Consumer demand
• Enabling policies
• Diverse production, sustainable
food systems, value-chains and
markets
Biodiversity for food and nutrition initiative
Brazil
1 in 3 children
aged between 5 &
9 are overweight
70 species of leafy vegetables
Sri Lanka
1 in 3 children aged between 5
& 9 are overweight
20 Native root & tuber crops,
bananas, rice varieties, leafy vegetables & fruits
Turkey
31% population
overweight
43 species of local
wild edible plant species
Kenya
1/3 of population food
insecure
20 Native leafy
vegetables, sorghum,
millets, nuts, fruits, livestock
Biodiversity for food and nutrition initiative
Inform public policies on
food & nutrition
• Food composition data
for >150 species of
nutritional importance
Raising awareness &
consumer demand for
traditional varieties
• Food fairs, gastronomy
workshops, school
programmes
• Food markets
Minor millets in India
Nutritious & drought resistant millets once
part of traditional diets
Working with partners for 15 years to
promote millet use resulting in:
• 2013 India’s food security act adds
millets into public distribution system
• Millets on menu in restaurants, sold on
streets
• Inclusion of millets in school lunches in
12 districts in Central & Southern India
African leafy vegetables in Kenya
Nutritious traditional African leafy
vegetables disappearing from farmers’
field and people’s menus
8 year initiative in Kenya with partners:
• 12 nutritious species introduced into formal market
• 450 farmers (mainly women) trained on cultivation
• Increased income, increased dietary diversity & economic
empowerment of women
Rediscovering rucola in Italy
• Nutritious green leafy vegetable growing wild in southern
Mediterranean
• Fallen off menus as diets and tastes move towards modern
processed grains and cereals - considered a weed
• Yet high in essential vitamins & minerals, low in calories
• Promotion of its health benefits and rich cultural history, and
improvements to cultivation, brought this ‘forgotten crop’ back
to the table (and pizza!)
Italy and its sustainable food culture
• Local, daily markets provide access to fresh,
seasonal and local food
• Tradition of fresh and seasonal recipes
• Mediterranean diet, whole of diet
approach
• Slow Food
Urban Food Policy Pact - Milan
• Milan Municipal Initiative government as part of
EXPO 2015 activities
• Bring together mayors and heads of local
governments from around the world to commit to
improve food governance within their cities and
the surrounding rural areas
• Ensure new approaches to food system planning
and governance recognize vital role of biodiversity
in the food system
• 36 cities around the world signed and many more
joining every day
Concluding remarks
• Biodiversity is essential for sustainable food systems and
healthy, nutrient rich diets
• Biodiversity is key to achievement of the SDGs and reshaping
our global food system - ‘Business as usual’ no longer an
option
• Biodiversity is a ‘win-win’ scenario – improves resilience,
adaptation, livelihoods (women), reduces food loss and
waste…
• Biodiversity stewardship and sustainable use requires that
Governments create an enabling environment