Mainstreaming Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition

Gone but not forgotten

Agrobiodiversity and nutrition  [7] are tightly linked. Agrobiodiversity can directly contribute to nutrition, health and income generation. In a world where increasing dietary simplification and the consumption of nutritionally-poor foods has led a third of the world’s population to suffer from micronutrient malnutrition on the one side, and growing numbers of people to be overweight and suffer from diet-related chronic diseases on the other, agrobiodiversity may provide consumers with access to greater dietary diversity and the revaluation of native food sources, improving diets and nutrition. Traditional foods, some of which are neglected or forgotten, are more nutritious, are better adapted to local environments, more suited to changing climate and impact less on ecosystems, as they require fewer external inputs.

Knowledge is change

To realize the full potential of agrobiodiversity for nutrition, a broadened evidence base is needed on the nutritional and other benefits of traditional foods, as well as on the constraints and potential opportunities for greater use of agrobiodiversity in markets. This information, along with enhanced sectoral collaborations and enabling policies fostered by the project, will help enhance the conservation and use of these underutilized species and promote the mainstreaming of biodiversity into the Agriculture, Environment and Health sectors.

Expected project outcomes

• To establish a firm link between agrobiodiversity and nutrition by enhancing the evidence base and making information on the nutritional and health benefits of food sources available to the Agriculture, Environment and Health sectors in the four partner countries.

• To foster biodiversity conservation and development actions in favour of human nutrition and wellbeing.

• To enhance the development of policies and regulatory frameworks that support the mainstreaming of biodiversity conservation and sustainable use across sectors vital for nutrition, food security and health.

• To enhance agrobiodiversity for improved nutrition and food security, through market, communication, cultural and nutrition interventions

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