Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
The world faces many challenges in attempting to achieve global foodsecurity, and one of those challenges is the continuing loss of forests andbiodiversity. How do we feed the world’s growing population whilemaintaining its biodiversity? The answer could be in new approaches tointegrating agriculture and biodiversity. CIFOR scientist Terry Sunderland explores the links between forests,biodiversity and food security in this presentation, which he recently gave at the2nd World Biodiversity Congress in Malaysia to more than 150 delegates.
Citation preview
THINKING beyond the canopy
Forests, biodiversity and food security
Terry Sunderland, PhD
2nd World Biodiversity Congress,
Kuching, Malaysia
10th September 2011
THINKING beyond the canopy
Make up 15%of Earth’s surface
Home to 50%of land-based species
Forests matterBiodiversity
THINKING beyond the canopy
DeforestationNet change
-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2
South America
Africa
Asia
Europe
North and Central America
Oceania
1990-2000 2000-2005
Source: FAO Forest Resource Assessment (FRA) 2005
THINKING beyond the canopy
What is food security?
Commonly accepted and used
definition for food security:
“Food security exists when all
people, at all times, have
physical and economic access
to sufficient, safe and nutritious
food to meet their dietary needs
and food preferences for a
healthy and active life” (World
Food Summit, 1996)
THINKING beyond the canopy
However….
This definition infers that access to enough food is an adequate criterion to achieve food security
Yet access to food must be sustainable in the long term
Human well-being is closely related to access to wider environmental health such as access to clean water, sanitation and biodiverseproductive ecosystems
Food security does not always equate to nutritional security
THINKING beyond the canopy
Forests, biodiversity and food security
One billion people rely on forest products for nutrition and income
Biodiversity provides important safety-net during times of food insecurity
Wild harvested meat provides 30-50% of protein intake for many rural communities
75% of world’s population rely on biodiversity for primary health care
$90 billion / annum in (primarily invisible) NTFP trade
Products derived from genetic resources worth estimated $500 billion/year
45% of global food production comes from diverse small-holder systems
Long tradition of managing forests for food
THINKING beyond the canopy
Covers 1% of the Earth’s surface
Contains more than 6% of plant,
bird and mammal species
Field surveys from East Kalimantan
undertaken by CIFOR identified:
• more than 2100 different species
• these had over 3600 uses
• 119 had no known substitute
Forests matterBorneo
THINKING beyond the canopy
Global trends in food production
Agriculture began around
12,000 years ago
Approx. 7,000 plant species
and several thousand animal
species historically used for
human nutrition and health
Since 1900, global trend
towards diet simplification
Today, 12 plant crops and 14
animal species provide 98%
of world’s food needs
Wheat, rice and maize: more
than 50% of energy intake
THINKING beyond the canopy
Effects of diet simplification
More than 800 million people are
under-nourished and 200 million
children are under-weight
In 2009, more than 1 billion people
were classified as “hungry”: the
highest number in history
Another 1 billion people suffer from
micronutrient deficiencies, including
Vitamin A, Iron, and Zinc
Greater incidence of Type II
diabetes among urban dwellers
Vulnerability to catastrophic events:
climate-related, pests and diseases,
market forces
THINKING beyond the canopy
Legacy of green revolution Disaggregation of agriculture and
natural resource management
Increases in food production have been achieved through high-input, intensive, and industrial agriculture that is heavily dependent on fossil fuels and agro-chemicals
Resulting in:• Pollution• Increased CO² emissions• Land conversion• Loss of biodiversity• Uneven distribution of food
supplies• Loss of livelihoods for small
holders
THINKING beyond the canopy
Challenges to achieving global food security
Population growth
Climate change
Food inequity
Gender inequity
Globalisation
Continued forest and
biodiversity loss
THINKING beyond the canopy
Challenges: population growth
Global population estimated
to grow to nine billion by
2050
If current agricultural model is
followed, this will require
conversion of further one
billion ha of land
Changing diets: transition to
meat-based diet very
inefficient use of resources
How to feed the world’s
population while conserving
biodiversity?
THINKING beyond the canopy
Challenges: climate change The impacts of rising
temperatures and more-extreme weather events will likely hurt the poor, especially rural farmers, the most
Agricultural yields in Africa could decline by more than 30 percent by 2050 (IPCC)
Biodiverse multi-functional landscapes more resilient to climate change effects and continue to provide ecosystem service
Recent climate-related events have led to increase in basic food prices and “food riots”
THINKING beyond the canopy
THINKING beyond the canopy
Challenges: Food inequity
Food inequity: While one billion people go hungry, one billion people are over-weight or obese (daily feast or famine)
Food waste (post harvest and post purchase)
Purchasing power: Singapore/Hong Kong are food secure, while India, a major agricultural producer, is not
THINKING beyond the canopy
Challenges: agricultural investment
Since 2005, food prices have
increased 50 to 80% in
developing countries
Funding for agricultural
development has dropped
significantly over the last
decade and are now at historic
lows (only 4% of total overseas
aid)
Developing country investment
very low, despite contribution of
agriculture to GDP
THINKING beyond the canopy
Challenges: Gender inequity
Women comprise up to 60% and 80% of small-holder farmers in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa respectively
More likely to include diverse range of products
Described as “guardians of food security” for the household
Maternal health and nutrition is key for future productivity
Many women lack access to land tenure, credit, extension services
THINKING beyond the canopy
Culture and nature: what linkages?
Homogenisation of culture = homogenisation of nature?
THINKING beyond the canopy
Innovations for integrated biodiversity and food security benefits?
Marginal lands (in the tropics 480 million ha of land available)
Diversification of production systems: tree crops, inter-crops and maintenance of ecosystem services (incl. carbon storage)
Tenure reform
Conservation agriculture
Fair and equitable access to markets especially for small-holder farmers
Payments for Environmental Services?
THINKING beyond the canopy
New approaches for integrating agriculture and biodiversity?
“Eco-agriculture” (Scherr and McNeely 2006)
“Conservation agriculture” (Hobbs et al. 2006)
“New green revolution” (Time 2010)
“New agriculture” (UNDP 2011)
“Agro-ecological approach” (World Bank 2011)
“Integrated management of biodiversity for food and agriculture” (FAO 2011)’
“Protecting biodiversity and ensuring food security are part of a single agenda” (Godfray 2011: Science)
THINKING beyond the canopy
Guinea.. a success story
Co-management of Classified Forests for conservation and
livelihoods
Agricultural intensification and diversification in and around
classified forest areas
Impacts have included up to threefold increases in local
incomes, and significant expansion of vegetation cover
Based on good governance and secure tenure
THINKING beyond the canopy
Read more….
Special issue of
International Forestry
Review on “Forests,
biodiversity and food
security” to be published
in November 2011
