Roles of On-farm Conservation and Underutilized Crops in the
Wake of Climate Change
Bhuwon Sthapit, Stefano Padulosi & Bhag MalBioversity International17-18 December 2009, ISPGR, New Delhi
Summary
• Climate change will happen, no matter what
• It will get hotter, some places dryer, others wetter
• We still don’t know what will happen in some places
• Both challenges and opportunities in agriculture
Implications of climate change critical to agriculture
Sufficient evidence• CC is already eroding biodiversity –landraces and wild
relatives• Long term and irreversibleConsequences of CC on species diversity• Changes in distribution• Increased extinction rates• Changes in phenology• Proliferation of weeds and pests and invasive species
The suitability of species/genotypes changes in both positive and negative ways
Average changes in
suitability for the HADCM3
model (top) and CCCMA
model (bottom).
Blue = increase in suitability
Red = reduction in
suitability.
Crops includeAnnex 1 of ITPGRFA
Other cash cropsJarvis, FAO Meeting, 2008
Changes in crop suitability
Community concerns
Climate variability and risk has always been a part of agriculture
Community concern is always with increase uncertainty in climatic variables –speed of change!
Extreme events, their frequencies and predictability!
Knowledge gap on how these farmers and communities are coping with climate change over the years?
Bring together two knowledge systems
Farmer’s strategy: Diversity for adversity
Portfolio of farming practices–Integrated crop-livestock-tree farming–Crop diversification–Farming with perennials (e.g. home gardens; agro-forestry)–Livestock diversity adds resilience to agricultural production systems
Portfolio of management practices
–-Enriching soil carbon– Seed priming– Minimum tillage practices
Farmer’s strategy: Diversity for adversity
Portfolio of farming system
Portfolio of management practices
Portfolio of crop varieties–69 cultivars–Bhatti-wetter years–Southyari-extreme drier years–Mansara-marginal
Southyari
Gene Bank(ex situ)
Breeding
FORMAL SYSTEM
Seed production
Seed quality control
Distribution
Seed
Planting
Cultivation
Harvest
Storage
INFORMALSYSTEM75-97%
Exchange
Consumption
Market
Farmers
On-farm conservation/on-farm management: adapt, evolve and buffer
Forest / wild
1. Saved own
2. Barter/gift3. Sale/purchase
3-25%
On-farm conservation
On-farm conservation of agricultural biodiversity refers to the maintenance of traditional crop varieties (landraces) or cropping systems by farmers within in the natural habitats where they occur-in farmers’ fields and uncultivated plant communities.
(Altieri and Merrick, 1987)
Conserve the evolutionary processes of local adaptation of crops to local conditions;
Conserve diversity at all levels; ecosystem, species and intra-specific (genetic) levels –adaptation strategy for CC
Conserve ecosystem services and functions Conserve diversity for livelihoods for resource poor farmers Maintain or increase farmers’ control over and access to
genetic resources Maintain traditional knowledge in the community Integrate farming community to national conservation efforts Support national commitment to the CBD, ITPGRFA and
farmer’s rights
Why On-farm conservation?
Far
• WHAT: The amount and distribution of genetic diversity maintained by farmers over time and space
• HOW: The processes used to maintain genetic diversity on-farm
• WHO: The people who maintain genetic diversity on-farm and who make decisions
• WHY: The factors that influence farmer decision making to maintain diversity
Basic questions to understand farmer management of crop diversity
• -LN(1-Farm evenness)
•0.0 •0.5 •1.0 •1.5 •2.0
•LN
Fa
rm rich
ne
ss
•0.0
•0.5
•1.0
•1.5
•2.0
•Black circle = staples•Gray circle = non-staples
Landrace richness and evenness at the farm level
Above the line:
High dominance with much richness at low frequencies: Diversity maintained as an insurance to meet change
Below the line
More even frequency distribution: Farmers are selecting varieties to serve current needs
Neutral function
Results are GLOBAL – for all crops and all countries
Ln
Fa
rm ric
hn
es
s
-Ln (1- Farm evenness)Jarvis et al. 2008 PNAS 105 (14):5326-5331
Many households,Large areas
Few households,Small areas
Few households,Large areas
Many households,Small areas
Par
tici
pat
ory
ext
ent
and
dis
trib
uti
on
an
alys
is
Four-cell diversity analysis as a widely adapted tool
CBM platform: Participatory learning for understanding local crop diversity and associated traditional knowledge
Ric
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ive
rsit
y in
Be
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illag
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epa
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Mansara
Purchase
Dud
he a
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Kat
he g
urdi
Pur
chas
e
173
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Ekle, anadi
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Exchange
47151
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67
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125
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urdi
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uri
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Madhese
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ansu
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ift
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Food grain
ExchangeFood grain
Exchange
Radha 9
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Rad
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heGift
Khumal 4
GiftSabitri
Gift
Fig 1. Farmers’ network on rice seed flow in Begnas eco-site (Subedi et al 2003. Culture and Agriculture 25(2);41-50)
Who maintains diversity and how? Social seed network
What is farmer system? own saved seed exchange gifts purchase
Who is nodal farmer? high frequency of exchange seed and information to other farmers
DiversityFlexibilitySelection
Who is innovator? search select maintain exchange
Meta-population Theory migration colonization
137
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Ind
S. mansuliExchange
MutmurExchange
MasulaGift
Mas
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itri
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China 4Exchange
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asul
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927Masula
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8
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Exchange
109
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11021N. mansuli
Exchange
111
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122
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62RSChaite 2
Trial
Size of networks-large vs. small; open vs. close network (Paudel et al., 2008)
Social seed network and system resilience
Vulnerable to climate changeCommunity interventions?
Resilient to climate change
Community bio-diversity register/Community seed
bank
NationalGenebank
Options• VA• PPB
Diversity fair/ kits*
Householdseed store
Formal Breeding
Farmer’s seedsupply system
Community-based PGR managementCommunity-based PGR management
Strengthening Local Capacity for Strengthening Local Capacity for Community led Climate Change AdaptationCommunity led Climate Change Adaptation
(Source: Sthapit and Jarvis, 1999)
Consolidating role of farmers as conservers, promoters of diversity and as dynamic Innovators to cope climate change!
Basic concerns:(1) ACCESS;(2) IPR;(3) MARKET;(4) BIOSAFETY (Sajise et al., 2007)
Wild relatives
Selection SelectionField
Farmer Varieties
Farmer’s seed system
Outside Farmer’s Varieties
(1, 2, 3) (1, 2, 3) (1, 2, 3)
(1, 2, 3)
Selection(1, 2, 3)PPB
(1, 2, 3)Selection
Biotechnology (4)
Adapted gene pool
Breeders’ Varieties
Breeders’ seed system
Commercial farmers(1, 2, 3)
(1, 2, 3)
Community seed bank and exchange
Plant, animal microbe species
(1, 2, 3)
UPOV - NDUS Patent – NDNew, non-obvious inventive step, utility
CertificationDUS
(1, 2, 3)
Selection
Knowledge/skills
Social customs/practices
Rules/ institutions
CBM
Creating local varieties
Improve on-farmconservation
Conceptual framework for using genetic diversity to adapt to climate change
Farmersempowerment
Community basedgenetic resource
management (e.g. PVS, PPB)
Adaptation
Mitigation
In-situ/On-farmConservation
Empowerment
IncentiveCBM
Community
Relations between CBM, in situ conservation and Empowerment
Pre-condition
CBM is a good practice for empowering community
A method to realize in situ /on-farm conservation
Steps for establishing CBM
1. Enhancing community awareness
2. Understanding local biodiversity, social networks and institutions
3. Capacity building of community institution
4. Setting up of institutional working modalities
5. Consolidating community roles in planning and implementation
6. Establishing a CBM trust fund
7. Community monitoring, evaluation and social auditing
8. Social learning and scaling up for community collective actions
Partners in Change and Innovation
ResearchInstitutes Farmers’
Organisations
Development AgenciesExtension Services
NGOs
Agri-businessPolicy Bodies
Environmentalistassociations Consumer
organisations
Implementing Institutions
A new role in institutional &professionalcapacity building
Cultivating partnership-3Ms
Challenges If genetic resources are going to
conserved on-farm, it must happen as a spin off of farmer’s production and livelihood strategies.
This means conservation efforts must be carried out within the framework of farmer’s livelihood, income and cultural values.
What are the strategies for on-farm conservation and livelihood gains?
STRATEGIES
• Improve access of materials and information
• Develop market incentives for traditional varieties
• Improve competitiveness of local varieties
Large area;Few HHs
Small area;Many HHs
Small area;Few HHs
Large area;Many HHs
Ex situconservation
On-farmconservation
Improve materials
Value additionMarket links
Strategic decisions: Empowering community for setting development and conservation agenda
Recognition
Improve access
CBR
Community action 1: Improved access to unique materials and information to wider groups
Good practices
Diversity fairs
Diversity blocks
Diversity kits
CBR
Community seed
bank
19981 HH Diversity fair
2000Diversity block7HH
200170 Diversity kits
2002195 HHs
1998Rare
2002Common
Improved access by community actions; many examples
Luffa cylindrica L. Traits: aroma, taste, delayed net
Momordica cochinchinensis L. Sechium edule L. Trewia nudiflora L.
Luffa cylindrica L.Cyphomandra betacea L.Coccinea grandis L. Cucurbita moschata L.
Capsicum microcarpum L.
Dolichos lablab L.Brassica juncea var. rayoDioscorea spp. L.Colocasia esculenta L.
Community Action 2: Maximize use of diversity-NUS-Crops for the future using PPB methods
There will never be enough plant breeders for all crops for all situations!
Community action 3: Enhance local materials
Diversity assessmentN=338
Market survey
Selection of preferred traits
Post harvest trait
On-farm testing &Seed production
Production
MarketingTrait: Ability to elongate 12 mm after cooking
What do we need to do?
• Understand and use the intra-specific diversity among the traditional varieties maintained by farmers
• Adapt breeding programs to develop genetic resources adapted to intra-specific mixtures (Finckh 2008)
• Integrating diverse trees, livestock, aquatics species and crops (including NUS) to buffer changing environmental conditions and improve resilience capacity
What you grow today might not be what you need tomorrow
What do we need to do?
• Strengthen farmer seed systems to promote open, dynamic and integrated genetic system to cope climate change at the local level– Empower community for community based
conservation actions (e.g. seed fair, diversity kits, CBR, CSB, CBSP)
– GB, PVS and PPB• Consolidate farmer’s role as conservers, promoter of
diversity and dynamic innovator by strengthening farmer’s seed system
• PGR organization should cultivate new partnership
What you grow today might not be what you need tomorrow
Quelle: http://www.grida.no/climate/ipcc_tar/slides/ppt/05.19.ppt (courtesy Axel Drescher)
Climate change is already happening
Diseases of concern to the US major crops• Bacteria causing fire blight in apples• Ug99 + related strains of stem rust in wheat• New strains of rice blast disease• Potato blight is re-emerging
Qualset and Shands, 2005
We cannot predict which new pest or pathogen will develop or how the rain will fall next year -- but we can
use agricultural biodiversity to have a diverse set of crop varieties in agricultural systems to increase the options to buffer against an unpredictable change. This explains why on-farm conservation can play key role in future!