Tropical fruit tree diversity

Farmers have developed a range of agricultural practices to sustainably use and maintain a wide diversity of crop species in many parts of the world. This book documents good practices innovated by farmers and collects key reviews on good practices from global experts, not only from the case study countries but also from Brazil, China and other parts of Asia and Latin America.

A good practice for diversity is defined as a system, organization or process that, over time and space, maintains, enhances and creates crop genetic diversity, and ensures its availability to and from farmers and other users. Drawing on experiences from a UNEP-GEF project on "Conservation and Sustainable Use of Wild and Cultivated Tropical Fruit Tree Diversity for Promoting Livelihoods, Food Security and Ecosystem Services", with case studies from India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, the authors show how methods for identifying good practices are still evolving and challenges in scaling-up remain. They identify key principles effective as a strategy for mainstreaming good practice into development efforts. Few books draw principles and lessons learned from good practices. This book fills this gap by combining good practices from the research project on tropical fruit trees with chapters from external experts to broaden its scope and relevance.

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Part 1: Setting context

1. On-farm and in situ conservation of tropical fruit tree diversity: context and conceptual framework

2. Key concepts

3. Community Biodiversity Management as an approach for realizing on-farm management of agricultural biodiversity

4. Custodians of tropical fruit tree diversity: identifying and strengthening the roles and rights of custodian farmers

Part 2: Good practices of agricultural biodiversity management and sustainable use

5. Good practices for conservation and sustainable use of crop wild relatives of tropical fruit tree diversity

6. Exotic and indigenous fruit tree diversity on farm and the conservation of tree genetic resources: case studies from sub-Saharan Africa

7. Promoting community management of underutilized tropical and subtropical fruit genetic resources in Brazil

8. Good practice: using intraspecific crop diversity to manage pests and pathogens in China

9. Kandyan home gardens: a time-tested good practice from Sri Lanka for conserving tropical fruit tree diversity

10. Amazonian fruits: how farmers nurture nutritional diversity on farm and in the forest

Part 3: Case studies of the project 'Conservation and Sustainable Use of Tropical Fruit Tree Diversity' from South and Southeast Asia

Case studies: Propagation and planting materials

11. A suite of propagation and management techniques for Garcinia in the central Western Ghats region of Karnataka, India

12. A set of interconnected practices which enhance and conserve mango diversity in Malihabad, India

13. Maintenance of mother blocks of CItrus rootstocks by farmers and nurseries for production of high-quality planting materials

14. Marcotting as a good practice for maintaining diversity of Citrus in swampy lands of South Kalimantan, Indonesia

15. Combination of side-grafting technique and informal germplasm exchange system in non-irrigated mango orchards in Thailand

16. Propagation and pruning techniques of Garcinia atroviridis (asam gelugor) in Bukit, Gantang, Perak, Malaysia

Case studies: Production and crop management

17. The role of a traditional festival, Chhath Puja, in the conservation and sustainable use of tropical fruits

18. Multivarietal orchards: an age-old conservation practice in mango

19. Integrated home gardens for maintaining mango and citrus diversity and for family well-being in East Java

20. Management of Garcinia fusca for sustainable use

21. Production and management of an underutilized fruit: aroi aroi (Garcinia forbesii King) in home gardens and orchards

Case studies: Linking farmers with markets (commercialization that supports diversity maintenance and livelihoods of the poor)

22. How can markets contribute to the conservation of agricultural biodiversity on farms? From theory to practice

23. Agrotourism in Kampung Kakeng, Serian: development and challenges

24. Conserving tropical fruit tree diversity by using their products and promoting agrotourism: lessons from an empowered community in southern Thailand

25. Value addition of a local food using Garcinia cowa leaves through collective action and marketing by a women's group

26. Value creation for Garcinia gummi-gutta and Garcinia indica through energy-efficient dryers and product differentiation in the central Western Ghats region of Karnataka, India

Case studies: Working with communities and multi-stakeholder partners

27. Community forests: utilization and informal regulation for tropical fruit tree conservation

28. An informal network of grafting experts to help communities conserve and use wild pickle mango (Mangifera indica) diversity in the central Western Ghats region of Karnataka, India

29. Social capital building for tropical fruit tree diversity

Part 4: A Way Forward

30. Reflections on the challenges of good practice identification, documentation, piloting and mainstreaming