1. A global Agenda on NUS Emile Frison, Director General, Bioversity International 11 December 2012

2. 2 Narrowing of world’s food basket 300,000 100,000 30,000 7,000 120 30 4 Known plant species Used by humankind Edible Used as food at local level Important at national scale Provide 90% of plant calories Provide 60% (rice, wheat, maize, potato) Increased reliance on major crops furthered by globalization trends

3. 3 National Geographic 2011 Study conducted in 1983 by the Rural Advancement Foundation International gave a clue to the scope of the problem. It compared USDA listings of seed varieties sold by commercial US seed houses in 1903 with those in the US National Seed Storage Laboratory in 1983. The survey, which included 66 crops, found that about 93 percent of the varieties had gone extinct. GENETIC EROSION A highly concerning global challenge

4. 4 NUS: going beyond the semantics Orphan, abandoned, new, underutilized, neglected, lost, underused, local, minor, traditional, forgotten, alternative, niche, promising, underdeveloped, development opportunity crops (DOC) and many more.

5. 5 NUS: typical features Nutritional value appreciated by people Hardiness, good adaptability, versatility in use Rich associated food culture and traditions Poor economic competitiveness with commodity crops Lack of improved vars. & enhanced cult. practices Drudgery in value addition Disorganized or non-existent market chains Perception of being “food of the poor” Cultivated and utilized relying on IK Scarcely represented in ex situ collections

6. 6 NUS: scarcely represented in ex situ collections… 7.4 millions accessions in 1,740 ex situ gene banks: major crops well covered, gaps for landraces, CWR, neglected and underutilized species (FAO 2010) Disparity to increase because of the attention of the FAO Treaty/Global Conservation Trust on staple crops.

7. 7 …and conserved largely by farmers through their continued cultivation… Mrs. Adelaja, a champion custodian of quinoa (125 accessions maintained in her farm in Puno, Peru)

8. 8..or safeguarded in Community seed banks such as this in Kachorwa, Nepal.

9. 9 Nutritional benefits Case of African leafy vegetables Per 100 gm Amaranth (leaf) CleomeNightshadeCabbage Iron mg 8.96.01.00.7 Calcium mg 41028844247 ß carotene ųg 5716104523660100

10. 10 * mg/100 g fresh edible portion Physalis peruviana Cape goosberry 1000-5000 Eugenia uniflora Surinam cherry 1200-2000 Pouteria campechiana Yellow sapote 533-2000 Matisia cordata Matisia 1000-1760 Fortunella spp. Kumquat 2530 Pereskia aculeata Barbados goosberry 3215 Artocarpus heterophyllus Jackfruit 175-540 Case of vitamin A in NUS fruits*

11. CropsPhenylalanineHistidineIsoleucineLeucineLysineMethionineThreonineTryptophanValineArginine Rice2.801.303.005.002.301.502.300.803.804.80 Wheat2.801.302.204.101.700.901.800.702.802.90 Maize2.901.602.407.202.001.202.800.403.002.90 Finger millet6.22.65.113.53.72.65.11.37.95.2 Italian millet5.32.35.013.32.12.63.91.55.26.1 Proso millet5.22.24.512.92.22.03.40.95.14.4 Kodo millet5.81.85.410.23.31.72.90.85.64.2 Recommended6.0-4.07.05.53.54.01.05.0- Case of minor millets

12. 12 Case of Andean Grains (processed items) Análisis Nutricional (productos procesados) Cereal Amaranto con miel Pop de amaranto Kallpa energética amaranto maca Galletas de amaranto Barra energética maca amaranto Barra energética quinua, maca, amaranto Calorías Kcal./100 g 430422393468414378 Proteína % 20.113.210.19.229.285.57 Grasa % 13.810.45.4717.98.181.95 Carbohidratos Totales % 56.369.175.967.575.884.4 Fibra g/100 g 3.056.154.202.984.391.17 Calcio mg-Ca/100 g 68.399.710736.389.421.9 Hierro mg-Fe/100 g 4.295.237.381.392.953.31 Vitamina C mg/100 g 7.143.429.106.5010.14.42

13. 13 From awareness to action: milestones 1996: FAO Promoting development and commercialization of NUS (Activity 12, GPA) 1997: EU Projects (s.a RESGEN 95/29-96/97) 1999: Endorsement of NUS by CGIAR Policy Committee 2001: First UN global effort on NUS (IFAD NUS Project) 2002: IPGRI Strategy on NUS published 2002: Establishment of GFU 2003. GTZ Conference on underutilized species, Leipzig, Germany 2004: The International Treaty on PGRFA (ref to Art 6.2e) 2005:The Chennai Platform for Action 2005: Recognition role of NUS by SBSTTA/CBD and COP7 2008: First International Conference on NUS (Arusha, Tanzania) 2009: Establishment of CFF (GFU+ICUC) 2010: Suwon Declaration and Framework 2011: Second Int. Conference on NUS (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) 2012: NUS theme embedded in CGIAR Consortium Agenda (CRP2, CRP4, CRP7)

14. 14 Out of the 20 guiding principles: 13. Increasing production of nutrient-dense foods particularly locally-adapted varieties rich in micronutrients (which covers underutilized foods such as indigenous crops). ACF, FAO, HLTF, IFPRI, UN SCN, WB: often powerful nutritional resources because of their nutrient content ACF, FAO: highlight the resource use efficiency and reduced inputs of producing indigenous food crops UN SCN: noted their role in climate change adaptation due to superior productivity response against local stresses Bioversity International: underutilized crops, often controlled by women and may increase women’s empowerment. FAO September 2012- Draft-

15. Empowerment of vulnerable groups through establishment of associations (SHG), skill enhancement and introduction of simple technology

16. 16 Strengthening Associations and Cooperatives India: IFAD NUS Project (2001-2010) Intervention : 56 Self Help Groups (SHG) established in 27 villages (386 persons/ 214 women, 2001-2010 period) Outcome : additional income for improved finger millet flour, semolina and malt generated by SHG have been USD 25, 100 and 430 per ton of product respectively.

17. 17 Bolivia: first ever cañihua vars. released! As a whole several tons of high quality seeds produced by farmers trained by the project and distributed to communities..

18. 18 Capacity Building Training on Value Addition at Home Sciences College, UAS- Banagalore facilitated by Prof. Vijalakshmi & Dr. Geetha Novel food recipes: technology development and capacity building from food technology experts

19. 19 Bolivia: drudgery in processing quinoa Greater efficiency in de-saponification (from 1-4 hrs to just 7 minutes!)

20. 20 India: profitable income food items from NUS Name of the productQuantity Cost of prod. (Rs.) Selling price (Rs.) Total income Rs Profit % Polished foxtail millet1 Kg3440/Kg4017.64 Polished little millet1 Kg3440/Kg4017.64 Diabetic mix1 Kg80100/Kg10025.00 Bisibelebath mix1 Kg90100/Kg10011.11 Kusubi savi rice mix 1 Kg60100/Kg10040.00 Ragi Malt1 Kg65100/Kg10054.00 Ragi Malt Drink500 ml1063/100 ml15068.00 Savi Paddu100 nos705/4 nos12578.00 Biscuits/Muffins4 Kg20080/Kg32033.00 Savi Chakkali1.2kg85100/Kg12041.17 Savi Shevu1.2kg85100/Kg12041.17 Tengalu1.2kg85100/Kg11838.82 Little millet papad200 nos150200 50% Besan Laddu1.250 Kg80160200150%

21. 21 Marrying income generation and better nutrition in one goal Joint venture with private sector ( Sobre la Roca ) led to more attractive food products targeting particularly children Outcome: popularization of nutritious food among children and inclusion of amaranth-based food items in school meals (Sucre and Serrano) Impact: Estimated income of at least 3 mil Bs /year for amaranth value chain sector in 2010 as a result of amaranth school meal policy in Chuquisaca Department alone.

22. 22 Changing the food-of-the-poor stigma: strategic role of the partnership between local producers and private sector – Alexander Coffee (Bolivia)

23. 23 Strengthening Collective Actions: Agrobiodiversity Fairs

24. The way forward

25. 25 Fundamental approaches in promoting NUS effectively Community-based Highly participatory Sharing at local/nat./int. level Special focus on women Trans-disciplinary Inter-sectorial Multi-stakeholder Holistic ‘from farm to fork’

26. 26 Conservation issues 1) Urgent interventions needed to support on farm conservation and custodian farmers who maintain genetic diversity and IK- need to more on who are custodians of seed of local crops? How they maintain this diversity? What are their seed networks? Who are the nodal farmers? How to strengthen their linkages and roles? 2) Support documentation and monitoring through decentralized/ community based approaches 3) Inclusion of NUS in Annex I of the International Treaty 4) Protection of farmers’ IPR on diversity and IK

27. STAGE 2 Five Cell Analysis STAGE 1 General assessment and inventorying Status and Trends Selection of focus species CELL B Small Area Many HH CELL C Large Area Few HH CELL D Small Area Few HH Red List Vulnerability List STAGE 3 First validation of Red List (fairs, extension work, schools etc) STAGE 4 Second validation of Red List (use of descriptors, molecular tools) Community Documentation & Monitoring (CBR, DB, others) National Documentation Regional Consolidation National PGR Conservation Strategy CELL A Large Area Many HH CELL E Lost varieties Testing non-IUCN use-based monitoring system

28. 28 Bridging the gap between ex situ and in situ conservation

29. 29 Improved nutrition, incomes and other livelihood benefits from NUS Farm-to-Fork approach Genetic diversity Selection cultivation HarvestValue addition Marketing Final use Rescued diver. Maps diversity IK Document. Conservation (ex situ/ in situ) Better varieties Best practices High Quality Seed Improved technology Novel food items Recipes (old/new) Quality standards Eff. value chains Commercializati on Branding Platforms of coop. Nutrition awareness Enabling Policies Promotions Education Up scaling and mainstreaming through enabling policies for wider impact beyond project sites

30. 30 Partnerships with private sector: key to success Linkages Financial Training Information Research Bolivia: 43 partners Financial tiers Provision of Training Information Exchange Research tiers

31. 31 Enhancing Capacities of NUS among young scientists

32. 32 Strengthening synergy and lesson sharing Funding is needed to support networking (CFF, DOC, Regional crop or theme based regional networks dealing with NUS) Support National and International Conferences on NUS / their opening up to broader set of disciplines and actors Mechanisms and policies in support of capacity building of women Validate potential of NUS diversity in nutrition Blend IK with scientific approaches

33. 33 Strengthening capacities of both researchers and farmers: manuals and cultivation guides blending IK and scientific findings Sustainable production is knowledge intensive

34. 34 Foster use of stakeholders’ potentials/ synergy Promote collaboration and linkages across value chain actors Participatory assessment of constraints across the value chain Facilitate dissemination of best practices Joint planning and upgrading of shared strategy Multi-stakeholder Platforms: bridging the gap between local and national actors

35. Awareness raising and fostering a network of practitioners Formulate recommendations to development workers and policy makers Research supply and demand for underutilised species and cut across individual crops (e.g. product development, market access, high-value differentiation), Documentation through innovative Internet-based tools Develop capacities for more effective research, curriculum development and degree training focusing on underutilised species, Identify research gaps and advocate policy change that enables the use of underutilised species in seed systems, genetic resources conservation, value chains and trade, Provide a global voice to the dispersed community working on underutilised species Supporting the understanding, appreciation, use of NUS for livelihoods An interdisciplinary and multi-stakeholder effort to create more awareness, promote policies, foster and facilitate a network of practitioners

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