Global Networking for the custodian farmers of underutilized crops

Stefano Padulosi Bioversity International

International Seminar on NUS, Córdoba, 10-13 December 2012

Content

1. Project introduction2. Who are custodian farmers3. Why we need them4. Why we need a global network

“Reinforcing the resilience of poor rural communities in the face of food insecurity, poverty and climate change through on-farm

conservation of local agro-biodiversity”

MSSRF

Participating Countries: Bolivia, Nepal, India Global Coordination: Bioversity International National Coordination: MS Swaminathan Research Foundation- MSSRF (India); Local Initiative for Biodiversity, Research and Development -LIBIRD (Nepal); Fundación Promoción e Investigación de Productos Andinos -PROINPA (Bolivia)Budget: 1.5 M USD (IFAD, EU-CGIAR, CCAFS)Duration: 3 years (March 2011- February 2014)

Project’ s GOAL

To facilitate more effective and sustainable use, management and conservation of local agrobiodiversity/ NUS by communities and stakeholders, particularly in the context of food security, nutrition, income-generation potential and adaptation to climate change

Project’ s Objectives

1. Develop and test new methods and tools in close partnership with farmers and value chain actors aimed at enhancing their capacities to sustainably conserve traditional crops and associated knowledge at the farm level;

2. Explore ways of integrating the monitoring of diversity on-farm, along with use-enhancement goals, through inter-disciplinary and multi-sector approaches;

3. Promote a more balanced complementary conservation agenda in national programmes, based on the need to combat genetic erosion and to meet the needs of agrobiodiversity users; and

4. Provide useful findings to guide further research related to climate change and its impact on species and varieties deployed in local production systems.

Content

1. Project introduction2. Who are custodian farmers?3. Why we need them?4. Why we need a global network?

Mrs. Adelaja, a champion custodian of quinoa (125 accessions maintained in her farm in Puno, Peru)

Mr Julio C. Paco Jove, Puno, Peru (champion farmer of Andean crops)

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Custodian farmers, Mandla, Madhya Pradesh (India), 20 Nov 2012

10

http://www.archeologiaarborea.org/

Champion farmer: >100 varieties of melons safeguarded in his farm (2002)

Mr. Muhamadjon (Uzbekistan)

12Mr. Abdelkader, champion custodian of IK of date palm (Algeria))

Who are the custodian farmers?

Conservation of seed common practices since the dawn of Agriculture

Dependence on commercial seed has reduced conservation, but in traditional production systems this still relevant

Custodians are a special category of farmers who distinguish themselves for their conservation efforts..

We know very little of custodians farmers and even less about those dealing with NUS !!

Who are the custodian farmers?

Attributes Description1. Highly motivated Strong personal motivation in conserving local varieties and not depending upon

external support for continued conservation + use

2. Advocate motivation Use varieties themselves and encourage others to do the same

3. Consistency attitude Grow the variety (even on small amount of land) for at least the last 3 years even without immediate use or income generation from it

4. Succession planning attitude Even if he/she cannot continue conserving the variety, will transmit seeds and knowledge so that someone else (children, other farmers, etc.) can continue the process

5. Knowledge value holder Holds the knowledge about medicinal, social, economic and/orenvironmental values of the varieties conserved

6. Knowledge use holder Holds the knowledge about production, storage, processing and use of the local varieties and seeds

7. Knowledge traits holder Holds the knowledge on the usefulness of traits of varieties

8. Motiv. from social recognition He/she is recognized by his neighbors or community members as someone who conserves local seeds and knowledge.

9. Basic conservation attitude Needs to be a guardian of at least one variety- value, rarity and difficulty in conserving material are also factors to be considered

10. Curator attitude Understand why varieties conserved are unique and are in the business of taking care of it like curators in a museum

Content

1. Project introduction2. Who are custodian farmers?3. Why we need them?4. Why we need a global network?

Gene Bank(ex situ)

Breeding Seed production

Seed quality control

Distribution

Seed

Planting

Cultivation

Harvest

Storage

INFORMALSYSTEMS75-97%

Exchange

Consumption

Market

FarmersForest / wild

1. Saved own

2. Barter/gift 3. Sale/purchase

FORMALSYSTEMS

3-25%

Management of informal seed systems

53

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Safeguarding and sharing diversity & knowledge

By-and-large ABD is conserved in situ/ on farm along with IK!

Large portfolio of 7000+ food crops / NUS scarcely represented in ex situ collections..

While we witness silent loss of species and varieties pushed aside by major/commodities crops along with IK..

Edible usesFresh 494 Cooked 478 Pickled 76 Spice 36

Lebanon: ethno botanic study on wild NUS (2003), involving 12 villages. 60 plant Families >260 vernacular names with 1,400 use citations recorded !

GREAT LOSS OF IK NO MORE TRANSMITTED TO YOUNGER GENERATIONS !!!

Experimenting and stewardship role

• They maintain diversity in a dynamic way where

varieties can evolve, adapt to climate, pests, diseases as well as evolve along with cultural preferences

• Help keeping healthier agro-ecosystems

• Help safeguarding IK and culture associated to healthy food systems

• Help keeping identity of territory and people..

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“Tamazight” language of the Amazigh people

of N.Africa

Content

1. Project introduction2. Who are custodian farmers?3. Why we need them?4. Why we need a global network?

Why we need a global network? • Complement networks now dealing

solely with ex situ conservation;• Give voice to silent stakeholders

whose role is highly strategic to our food security;

• Help making roles of women more visible and appreciated

• Help synergies at nat/int level;• Facilitate exchange of knowledge on

resilient crops; • Help addressing needs with policy

makers at int. fora / Agreements

Celebrate & exchange

“the power of social movement”WOMEN Seed and Culinary Fair

Mandla, Madhya Pradesh (India), 20 Nov 2012

Community seed bank in Kachorwa, Nepal

Community gene bank- Mali

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CBRMethods and tools for

documenting and monitoring NUS

Other considerations

• Seed savers associations do exists but poorly linked to one another;

• The idea is not to create a bureaucratic structure, but promote direct linkages among custodians;

• Community seed banks can be instruments to facilitate networking among custodians, sharing of experiences, material and knowledge.

riceFoxtail millet Kodo millet

Singarpur Village, Madhya Pradesh (India), 22 March 2012

Thank you!