Global Networking for the custodian
farmers of underutilized crops
Stefano Padulosi
Bioversity International
International Seminar on NUS, Córdoba, 10-13 December 2012
Content
1.
2.
3.
4.
Project introduction
Who are custodian farmers
Why we need them
Why we need a global network
“Reinforcing the resilience of poor rural communities in the face of
food insecurity, poverty and climate change through on-farm
conservation of local agro-biodiversity”
Participating Countries: Bolivia, Nepal, India
Global Coordination: Bioversity International
National Coordination: MS Swaminathan Research Foundation- MSSRF (India);
Local Initiative for Biodiversity, Research and Development -LIBIRD (Nepal);
Fundación Promoción e Investigación de Productos Andinos -PROINPA (Bolivia)
Budget: 1.5 M USD (IFAD, EU-CGIAR, CCAFS)
Duration: 3 years (March 2011- February 2014)
MSSRF
Project’ s GOAL
To facilitate more effective
and sustainable use,
management and
conservation of local
agrobiodiversity/ NUS by
communities and
stakeholders, particularly in
the context of food security,
nutrition, income-generation
potential and adaptation to
climate change
Project’ s Objectives
1. Develop and test new methods and tools in close
partnership with farmers and value chain actors aimed at
enhancing their capacities to sustainably conserve
traditional crops and associated knowledge at the farm level;
2. Explore ways of integrating the monitoring of diversity onfarm, along with use-enhancement goals, through interdisciplinary and multi-sector approaches;
3. Promote a more balanced complementary conservation
agenda in national programmes, based on the need to
combat genetic erosion and to meet the needs of
agrobiodiversity users; and
4. Provide useful findings to guide further research related to
climate change and its impact on species and varieties
deployed in local production systems.
Content
1.
2.
3.
4.
Project introduction
Who are custodian farmers?
Why we need them?
Why we need a global network?
Mrs. Adelaja, a champion custodian of quinoa (125 accessions maintained in her farm in Puno, Peru)
Mr Julio C. Paco Jove, Puno, Peru (champion farmer of Andean crops)
Custodian farmers, Mandla, Madhya Pradesh (India),
20 Nov 2012
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http://www.archeologiaarborea.org/
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Mr. Muhamadjon (Uzbekistan)
Champion farmer:
>100 varieties of
melons safeguarded
in his farm (2002)
Mr. Abdelkader, champion custodian of IK of date palm (Algeria))
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Who are the custodian
farmers?
Conservation of seed common
practices since the dawn of
Agriculture
Dependence on commercial seed has
reduced conservation, but in
traditional production systems
this still relevant
Custodians are a special category of
farmers who distinguish
themselves for their
conservation efforts..
We know very little of custodians
farmers and even less about
those dealing with NUS !!
Who are the custodian
farmers?
Attributes
1. Highly motivated
2. Advocate motivation
3. Consistency attitude
4. Succession planning attitude
5. Knowledge value holder
6. Knowledge use holder
7. Knowledge traits holder
8. Motiv. from social recognition
9. Basic conservation attitude
10. Curator attitude
Description
Strong personal motivation in conserving local varieties and not depending upon
external support for continued conservation + use
Use varieties themselves and encourage others to do the same
Grow the variety (even on small amount of land) for at least the last 3 years even
without immediate use or income generation from it
Even if he/she cannot continue conserving the variety, will transmit seeds and
knowledge so that someone else (children, other farmers, etc.) can continue the
process
Holds the knowledge about medicinal, social, economic and/orenvironmental values of
the varieties conserved
Holds the knowledge about production, storage, processing and use of the local
varieties and seeds
Holds the knowledge on the usefulness of traits of varieties
He/she is recognized by his neighbors or community members as someone who
conserves local seeds and knowledge.
Needs to be a guardian of at least one variety- value, rarity and difficulty in conserving
material are also factors to be considered
Understand why varieties conserved are unique and are in the business of taking care
of it like curators in a museum
Content
1.
2.
3.
4.
Project introduction
Who are custodian farmers?
Why we need them?
Why we need a global network?
Management of informal seed systems
Farmers
Forest / wild
Distribution
Gene Bank
(ex situ)
Seed
Seed quality
control
Market
1. Saved own
Planting
Cultivation
Harvest
INFORMAL
SYSTEMS
75-97%
Exchange
2. Barter/gift
3. Sale/purchase
Consumption
Storage
Seed production
Breeding
FORMAL
SYSTEMS
3-25%
Safeguarding and sharing
diversity & knowledge
81
115
172
125
152
Kathe gurdi
Exchange
23
OS
OS
156
Exchange
173
26
OS
Seto gurdi
Madhese
Exchange
K. gurdi
182
48
47
151
Panhele
Exchange
67
Exchange
53
Purchase
Kathe gurdi
181
126
199
157
110
158
37
Madhese
OS
OS
167
159
9
38
OS
OS
111
144
41
163
Radha 9
Exchange
204
16
76
90
205
8
78
206
40
207
OS
164
165
By-and-large ABD is conserved in
situ/ on farm along with IK!
Large portfolio of 7000+ food
crops / NUS scarcely represented
in ex situ collections..
While we witness silent loss of
species and varieties pushed
aside by major/commodities
crops along with IK..
Lebanon: ethno botanic study on wild NUS (2003),
involving 12 villages. 60 plant Families >260 vernacular
names with 1,400 use citations recorded !
Edible uses
Fresh 494
Cooked 478
Pickled 76
Spice
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GREAT LOSS OF IK NO MORE TRANSMITTED TO
YOUNGER GENERATIONS !!!
Experimenting and
stewardship role
• They maintain diversity in a dynamic way where
varieties can evolve, adapt to climate, pests,
diseases as well as evolve along with cultural
preferences
• Help keeping healthier agro-ecosystems
• Help safeguarding IK and culture associated to
healthy food systems
• Help keeping identity of territory and people..
“Tamazight” language
of the Amazigh people
of N.Africa
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Content
1.
2.
3.
4.
Project introduction
Who are custodian farmers?
Why we need them?
Why we need a global network?
Why we need a global
network?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Complement networks now dealing
solely with ex situ conservation;
Give voice to silent stakeholders
whose role is highly strategic to our
food security;
Help making roles of women more
visible and appreciated
Help synergies at nat/int level;
Facilitate exchange of knowledge on
resilient crops;
Help addressing needs with policy
makers at int. fora / Agreements
Celebrate & exchange
“the power of social movement”
WOMEN Seed and Culinary Fair
Mandla, Madhya Pradesh (India), 20 Nov 2012
Community seed bank in Kachorwa, Nepal
Community gene bank- Mali
Methods and tools for
documenting and
CBRmonitoring NUS
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Other considerations
• Seed savers associations do exists but poorly
linked to one another;
• The idea is not to create a bureaucratic
structure, but promote direct linkages among
custodians;
• Community seed banks can be instruments to
facilitate networking among custodians, sharing
of experiences, material and knowledge.
Thank you!
Foxtail millet
rice
Kodo millet
Singarpur Village, Madhya Pradesh (India), 22 March 2012