At Nutrition-sensitive landscapes, a CIFOR and ICRAF organized side-event at the Conference on Forests for Food Security and Nutrition, Bioversity International's researcher Céline Termote spoke about putting people at the centre of the landscapes approach: "Food is an expression of their culture, we must not forget that," she said. Photo: CIFOR

The International Conference on Forests, Food Security and Nutrition will take place at FAO in Rome, Italy from 13-15 May, 2013. The Conference aims to increase understanding of the crucial role that forests, trees and agroforestry systems can play in improving the food security and nutrition of rural people, especially in developing countries.

Discussions on the Strategic Action Plan for Mesoamerica's Plant Genetic Resources (SAP) featured prominently at the 58th Annual Meeting of the Programa Cooperativo Centroamericano para el Mejoramiento de Cultivos y Animales (PCCMCA), and continues to make headway in the Americas.

While over 1 billion people are overweight and obese around the world, an estimated 868 million are undernourished. This paradox is explored in a new book, Diversifying Food and Diets, co-edited by Bioversity International scientist Danny Hunter who is also an Adjunct Lecturer in Botany and Plant Science at NUI Galway.

As part of the International Satoyama Initiative and the UN University Institute of Advanced Studies, Bioversity International recently met with partners to further discuss the use of resilience indicators in socio-ecological production landscapes.

Festival delle Terre returns to Rome this year (7-10 May), showcasing a series of environmental documentaries from the eyes of those on the ground. Bioversity International will be awarding a prize to the best film on agricultural biodiversity.

La región de Huehuetenango, en las tierras altas de los Cuchumatanes al occidente de Guatemala, es un importante centro de diversificación del maíz. Mientras que los agricultores de esta región han heredado de las generaciones anteriores una gran cantidad de variedades locales y tradicionalmente las han mantenido en sus fincas, las condiciones medioambientales y sociales cambiantes están empezando a tener un impacto negativo en la diversidad genética local y la seguridad alimentaria.

The Huehuetenango region, in Western Guatemala, is an important centre of diversification for maize. While farmers here have inherited a wealth of local varieties from previous generations and traditionally maintain them on farm, changing environmental and social conditions are beginning to have a negative impact on local genetic diversity and food security.