Biodiversity for food and nutritionCamila Oliveira, Ministry of Environment, BrazilMay 6th 2015, Milan

Overview of Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition Initiative

Cross-cutting initiative of the Convention on Biological Diversity

Brazil, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Turkey

5 year project 2012 – 2017

Objective : strengthen the conservation and sustainable use of

agricultural biodiversity by providing evidence of its benefits for

nutrition and well-being and mainstreaming into national/global

nutrition policies and strategies

Brazil overview

Biodiversity hotspot

- Home to significant amount of world’s biodiversity

- Much of it edible and nutritious

High rates of malnutrition

- 1 in 3 children aged between 5 & 9 are overweight1

- ~50% of adults are overweight1, 44% with high cholesterol2

and 42% hypertensive2

- 20% of women in reproductive age with anemia2

1 – POF 2008-2009 (IBGE, Brazil)

2 – Global Nutrition Report 2014 (WHO)

Why Brazil thinks agricultural biodiversity matters• Basis for essential ecosystem services: water supply, soil

fertility, pollination, regulation of pests and diseases

• Provides the genetic diversity and material needed to drive

innovation and adaptation to climate changes

• Generate income to communities in situation of economic

insecurity

• Key to food diversification, with positive outcomes for health,

nutrition and promotion of food security

Example of a nutritious underutilized species

Goiaba-serrana, Feijoa (Acca sellowiana)

Native from Southern Brazil;

Sweet taste and very aromatic flavour

Traditional food that has fallen off menus in Brazil

Nutritious

• High in fibre and Vitamin C

• Good source of minerals and Vitamin B

Embedding biodiversity into national food and security policy framework

A 3-step action plan:

• Increase knowledge of how underutilized native species can

contribute to food security

• Put strategies and action plans in place to halt biodiversity loss

• Increase awareness on how biodiversity can contribute to food

and nutrition

Plants for the future - database

Nutritional composition of 70 species

National school feeding programme:

- Procurement of 30% from local farmers

Health in school programme:

- Evaluation of nutritional status

- Healthy eating lessons

- Health assistance for children in school

Exploiting nutrition potential of underused crop diversity

Food and Nutrition National Policy (PNAN)

Nutritional Guidelines for the Brazilian

Population (Nov/2014)

• Very strong appeal to regional

habits and foods

Considerations about sustainable use of

native biodiversity for food and nutrition

Chapter

“Biodiversity for

Food and Nutrition”

Food Procurement Program (PAA)

Beneficiaries: family farmers and people in situation of food insecurity

Programme activities:

• purchasing from family farms and donates to

social assistance entities

• establishes networks to tie different local

associations

• pays 30% more for organic and agro-

ecological food

• prioritizes indigenous communities and

quilombolas

Photo credit: Conab

Put strategies and action plans in place to halt biodiversity loss

Revise National

Biodiversity Strategy

and Action Plan to

comply with Aichi

Biodiversity Targets of

the Convention on

Biological Diversity

A major reason for

biodiversity loss in Brazil

is limited appreciation of

use of biodiversity for

food and nutrition

Increase awareness on how biodiversity can contribute to food and nutrition

Weekly farmers’ market at the

Brasilia Botanical Garden

Cultural gastronomic events

cooking demonstrations and

local tasting of native and

nutritious biodiverse foods

In partnership with:

Thank you

www.bioversityinternational.org