Emphasizing the need to maintain biodiversity in nature, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) Assistant Director-General Alexander Muller stresses on the importance of biodiversity to food security. He said, “Our planet abounds with biological richness and this great diversity is key to face the worst food crisis in modern history.”
As per the latest report, about three-quarters of the genetic diversity of agricultural crops have been lost over the last century and almost hundreds of the 7000 animal breeds registered in its databases are threatened by extinction. At present, only 12 crops and 14 animal species provide most of world’s food.
Less genetic diversity means less opportunity for the growth and innovation needed to boost agriculture at a time of soaring food prices. With wide choice of plants and animals, the food production can be increased in a sustainable way thereby eliminating large cause of hunger and malnutrition in poor countries.
Muller, the head of FAO’s Natural Resources Management and Environment Department, said: “The erosion of biodiversity for food and agriculture severely compromises global food security. We need to strengthen our efforts to protect and wisely manage biodiversity for food security. Its sustainable use is central to achieve a secure and sustainable food supply system.”
Furthermore, as the international community is facing the worst ever food crisis in modern history with sharp rise in prices of rice, maize products, milk, oil, soybeans and other essential food items, FAO calls to intensify the commitment and action towards integrating food security and biodiversity concerns.
Loss of biodiversity raises the loudest of alarms by making the overall food supply more vulnerable. Furthermore with environmental challenges such as climatic change or water scarcity agriculture seems to be less adoptable. Under such circumstances, there needs to be taken some major steps not only to achieve sustainable development, but also to increase agricultural productivity and overall food production.
Global Biodiversity Conference
A global biodiversity conference (19-30 May 2008, Bonn, Germany) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is also under its way in participation from some 190 countries, as well as of international organizations.
Biodiversity in agriculture, accelerated rate of deforestation, and possible ways to address climatic change through biodiversity use are some of the key issues on the agenda of the Bonn meeting.
FAO has long considered biological diversity as fundamental to its mandate in nutrition, agriculture, forestry and fisheries and its Member Countries are at the forefront of integrating biodiversity into the food and agriculture framework. Since the last meeting of the Convention, FAO has made progress in many different fields:
- FAO released the first global assessment on the status of and threats to animal genetic resources, which was followed by the adoption by its Member countries of a global plan of action;
- FAO's governing Conference also endorsed an innovative 10 year work-plan to protect all genetic diversity relevant to FAO's mandate;
- A new international mechanism for exchanging crop genetic resources and sharing the benefits arising from its use has been put in place through FAO's International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture;
- Throughout the world, FAO has been working with nations, and its farmers, livestock keepers, pastoralists, fisherfolk, forest and rural communities as well as researchers to sustainably use biodiversity and conserve it for future generations.
In addition, FAO cooperates with the CBD on a wide variety of issues ranging from forest biodiversity, marine and coastal biodiversity and protected areas. Flagship cooperative efforts between FAO and the CBD are the joint work on agricultural biodiversity and forest biodiversity.
Source: FAO
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