Mainstreaming Agrobiodiversity in Sustainable Food System

A new book which summarizes the most recent evidence on how to use agrobiodiversity to provide nutritious foods through harnessing natural processes.

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The complete book (10 MB)
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A 8-page brochure (2 MB)showcasing the main facts about mainstreaming agrobiodiversity in sustainable food systems

To download just the parts of the book you need, scroll down.

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What people are saying about the book

“With a host of case studies, facts and figures about this growing area of research, this is a must-read for anyone interested in how we can use all our biodiversity resources for more nutritious food while reducing damage to the planet.”
Prof. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, Sixth President of Mauritius

“Thoughtful, refreshingly clear and at times provocatively counter-intuitive,
[Mainstreaming Agrobiodiversity] is a serious and commendable effort. It deserves considered engagement and reflection.”
Cary Fowler, former Executive Director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust

"This publication reminds us of the underutilized potential in our diets—of the thousands of food species that never make it to our plates—and the ways in which tapping into this diversity not only builds a more resilient, sustainable food system but a more robust, thriving global community."
Simran Sethi, author of Bread, Wine, Chocolate: The Slow Loss of Foods We Love

Download the parts of the book you need

Foreword

Dr Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias
Executive Secretary (2012-2016), Convention on Biological Diversity
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Preface

Ann Tutwiler
Director General
Bioversity International
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Transformation

Agricultural biodiversity and food system sustainability
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Food

Food biodiversity for healthy, diverse diets
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Sustainability

Using biodiversity to provide multiple services in sustainable food systems
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Seeds

Seed systems for crop and tree diversity in sustainable food systems
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Conservation

Conserving agricultural biodiversity for use in sustainable food systems
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Measuring

Towards an Agrobiodiversity Index for sustainable food systems
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Glossary

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To manage agrobiodiversity, we need to measure it

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Contact:

For enquiries related to the content of the book, please contact:
Arwen Bailey, Book Editor

Want to know more about the book?

Read these short blogs written by Bioversity International scientists about the main issues discussed in Chapter 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Five ways food biodiversity contributes to healthier diets

By Gina Kennedy and Dietmar Stoian
Food biodiversity – the diversity of plants and animals and other organisms used for food, both cultivated and from the wild – can help address hunger, malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies.

A fresh look at crop seeds for healthy diets

By Jacob van Etten
Seeds are a central piece of our food systems, as the vehicles that deliver the benefits of agricultural biodiversity: environmental sustainability and healthy diets.

What has agrobiodiversity ever done for us?

By Simon Attwood
There is a lot of biodiversity about, but what does it do for us? Used effectively, agricultural biodiversity can make our diets healthier, and agriculture more resilient and sustainable

Agricultural biodiversity – Use it or lose it!

By Ehsan Dulloo
What are the conservation strategies for a precious resource – agricultural biodiversity? One of those strategies seems quite a paradox: the more you use it, the more you save it!

Chapters 2 and 6 contribute to the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH), supported by CGIAR Fund Donors

Citation:

Bioversity International. 2017. Mainstreaming Agrobiodiversity in Sustainable Food Systems: Scientific Foundations for an Agrobiodiversity Index. Bioversity International, Rome. Italy.