Agricultural Biodiversity As a Link Between Traditional Food Systems
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0 Review SCI Received: 18 January 2013 Revised: 13 AugustAugust 2013 Accepted article published: 20 August 2013 Published online in Wiley Wiley Online Library: 23 September 2013 2013 (wileyonlinelibrary.com(wileyonlinelibrary.com)) DOI 10.1002/jsfa.635110.1002/jsfa.6351 Agricultural biodiversity as as aa linklink betweenbetween traditional food food systems systems andand contemporarycontemporary development, social social integrityintegrity and and ecological ecological healththealth† ∗ Timothy Johns,a' Johns,a,bb* Bronwen Powell,a'b'c Powell,a,b,c Patrick Patrick MaunduMaundu1b,d" andand Pablo Pablo B B EyzaguirrebEyzaguirreb Abstract Traditional food food systems systems offer a key link between the the social social and economic resilience ofof smallholdersmallholder farmers and pastoralists andand the sustainable food and nutrition security security of of global global populations. populations. This This paper paper addresses addresses issues relatedrelated toto socio-culturalsocio-cultural diversitydiversity and the continuing complex engagement of traditional and and modern communities communities with the plants and animals that sustain them.them. In light of of some some of the unhealthful unhealthful consequences consequences ofof thethe ‘nutrition'nutrition transition’transition' to globalized modern diets, the authors authors definedefine and propose a process forfor aa moremore successfulsuccessful food food system system transition transition that that balancesbalances agro-biodiversityagro-biodiversity and processed commoditiescommodities to support support diet diet diversity, diversity, health health and and social social equity equity alongside alongside sustainable sustainable economic economic growth. We review review empirical empirical research research in support of practice practice and policy policy changes changes in agriculture, agriculture, economic economic development and and health health domains domains as as well well as as cross-sectoral cross-sectoral and community-based innovation. High-value food crops within domestic and global value chains cancan bebe anan entryentry pointpoint for smallholders'smallholders’ participation as contributors and beneficiaries beneficiaries of development, while while sustainable sustainable small small farms, farms, as as purveyors purveyors of environmental and public health services, diversifydiversify globalglobal optionsoptions forfor long-termlong-term adaptationadaptation in the face of environmental uncertainty. ©c 20132013 Society Society of Chemical Industry Keywords: smallholders; resilience; developingdeveloping countries; markets; sustainabilitysustainability INTRODUCTION determine how farmers respond toto change, change, as well as as offer offer Traditional smallholder smallholder farmers farmers and and pastoralists pastoralists make make essential essential communities unique opportunities for for sustainable sustainable development. contributions toto food and and nutrition nutrition security security in in developing developing First we draw generalizable insightsinsights fromfrom the broader literature countries. TheThe cropscrops andand animal products they produce produce are are related to the crops, marketmarket integration,integration, livelihoods, sustainabilitysustainability consumed locally andand nationallynationally wherewhere theythey enhanceenhance thethe nutrientnutrient and health of of small small family family farmers farmers and and pastoralists. pastoralists. Here we employ traditional as a qualifierqualifier to distinguish our specific specific focus quality of of diets diets based based on on high-energy high-energy staples, staples, satisfy satisfy preferences on social-cultural social–cultural context and the unique biocultural nature of for a a variety variety of of culturally culturally valuable valuable foods, foods, and underpin healthy healthy agro-biodiversity.3 TraditionalTraditional food food systems systems are maintained by dietary patterns rooted rooted in in regional regional ecosystems, ecosystems, community community people ‘who'who retain knowledge knowledge of the the land land and and food food resources resources practices andand custom.' custom.1 However,However, food security security concerns concerns and rooted in historical continuity within within their their region region of of residence' residence’ and changing dietary preferences of urbanurban andand ruralrural populationspopulations drive agricultural intensification intensification and global demand demand for for cereal cereal crops crops (maize, wheatwheat andand rice) and animal-source foodsfoods inin ways that ∗ * CorrespondenceCorrespondence to: to: Timothy Timothy Johns, Johns, School of Dietetics andand HumanHuman Nutrition,Nutrition, can conflictconflict with cultivation of locally important crops crops2 and crop Macdonald Campus, Campus, McGill McGill University, University, Ste. Ste. Anne Anne de de Bellevue, Bellevue, QC, QC, H9X H9X 3V9, 3V9, varieties and lead to the simplification simplification of of both both agro-ecosystems agro-ecosystems Canada. E-mail: [email protected] and human diets. diets.3 ThisThis paper paper explores explores trans-disciplinary trans-disciplinary ways ways † in which which agricultural agricultural biodiversity biodiversity can can mutually mutually benefit benefit small small t This paper was presented presented at Traditional Traditional Foods Foods International International (TFI-2012), (TFI-2012), Cesena, 4–5,4-5, October, 2012. producers and globalglobal populations, with synergies forfor bothboth human and ecosystem health.health. a SchoolSchoolofDieteticsandHumanNutrition,MacdonaldCampus,McGillUniversity, ofDietetics and Human Nutrition, MacdonaldCampus, McGill University, In constructing constructing a a novel novel framework framework for for equitable equitable smallholders smallholders Ste. Anne de Bellevue, QC, H9X 3V9,3V9, CanadaCanada (see note a, a, after after the the reference reference list), list), private-sector private-sector and and b Agrobiodiversity and and Ecosystems Ecosystems Programme, Bioversity International,International, Via dei public partnerships, wewe extend the consideration of traditional Tre Denari 47 472/a,2/a, 00057 Maccarese, Rome, ItalyItaly smallholders beyondbeyond aa focus on economic economic growth, growth, where where c CentreCentreforInternationalForestryResearch,JalanCIFOR,SituGede,Bogor(Barat) for International ForestlyResearch,Jalan CIFOR, Situ Gede, Bogor (Barat) traditional is often often synonymous synonymous with with subsistence subsistence or self- self- 16115, Indonesia sufficiency,'sufficiency,4 toto explore the manner manner in in which which culture, culture, social social 3433 institutions, and and people's people’s connection connection to to place place and and ecosystems ecosystems d KENRIK, NationalNational Museums of Kenya, P.O. BoxBox 40658,40658, 0010000100 Nairobi,Nairobi, Kenya JJ Sci Food Agric 2013; 9393:: 3433-3442 3433–3442 www.soci.org ©c 20132013 Society Society of Chemical Industry 0 SCI www.soci.org T Johns et al. include those those foods foods they they know know and and have have access access toto fromfrom theirtheir local SMALLHOLDER AGRO-BIODIVERSITYAGRO-BIODIVERSITY ANDAND 5 environment through farming farming or or wild wild harvesting harvesting. .3 WhileWhile diver- SUSTAINABLE FOOD/NUTRITIONFOOD/NUTRITION SECURITY SECURITY gent from efforts to derivederive commoncommon definitionsdefinitions ofof traditional foods Smallholders supplysupply thethe greatergreater partpart ofof foodstuffs inin developing in European European6 andand similar similar regulatory regulatory contexts, contexts, our perspective perspective is countries, mostlymostly forfor auto-consumption, withwith over 2.5 billion nonetheless informed by and consistent withwith influentialinfluential discourse people living directly off off farming, farming, pastoral pastoral and fishing fishing activities activities on Mediterranean dietsdiets'7 thatthat emphasizes emphasizes their essential essential cultural (FAO). TheThe majority majority ofof thethe world’sworld's family farms consist of 2 hectareshectares and social social elements. elements. Agricultural Agricultural biodiversity biodiversity comprises comprises the or less 22,16'16 andand continue to play play a central role in improving food cultivated plants plants and and animals animals in in agricultural agricultural ecosystems ecosystems (as (as well as and nutrition security security in in developing developing countries. countries.11,17 WhileWhile small small associated beneficialbeneficial organisms such asas pollinatorspollinators andand soilsoil biota)biota) farms maymay drawdraw onon improvedimproved varieties ofof staplestaple cropscrops and/orand/or growgrow along with the wild wild foods foods and and other other products products gathered by rural monocultures under high input intensified intensified systems systems ofof cultivation,cultivation, populations for their livelihoods.2,8 this is not not the the norm.' norm.18 TheThe diversity diversity of of landraces landraces and and species species Multi-sectoral interactions across agriculture, health, environ- cultivated oror gatheredgathered fromfrom thethe wild,wild,'19 forfor consumption consumption or or sold sold ment and economic economic development identifyidentify a pathway to rural in local local markets, formsforms thethe foundationfoundation ofof traditional agriculture agriculture poverty-reduction and consumer