Post on 17-Jul-2015
Biodiversity for food and nutrition Camila Oliveira, Ministry of Environment, Brazil May 6th 2015, Milan
Overview of Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition Initiative
Cross-cutting initiative of the Convention on Biological Diversity
Brazil, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Turkey
5 year project 2012 – 2017
Objective : strengthen the conservation and sustainable use of
agricultural biodiversity by providing evidence of its benefits for
nutrition and well-being and mainstreaming into national / global
nutrition policies and strategies
Brazil overview
Biodiversity hotspot
• Home to significant amount of world’s biodiversity
• Much of it edible and nutritious
High rates of malnutrition
• 1 in 3 children aged between 5 & 9 are overweight1
• ~50% of adults are overweight1, 44% with high cholesterol
and 42% hypertensive2
• 20% of women in reproductive age with anemia2
1 – POF 2008-2009 (IBGE, Brazil)
2 – Global Nutrition Report 2014 (WHO)
Why Brazil thinks agricultural biodiversity matters
• Basis for essential ecosystem services: water supply, soil
fertility, pollination, regulation of pests and diseases
• Provides the genetic diversity and material needed to drive
innovation and adaptation to climate changes
• Generate income to communities in situation of economic
insecurity
• Key to food diversification, with positive outcomes for health,
nutrition and promotion of food security
Example of a nutritious underutilized species
Goiaba-serrana, Feijoa (Acca sellowiana)
Native from Southern Brazil
Sweet taste and very aromatic flavour
Traditional food that has fallen off menus in Brazil
Nutritious
• High in fibre and Vitamin C
• Good source of minerals and Vitamin B
Embedding biodiversity into national food and security policy framework
A 3-step action plan:
• Increase knowledge of how underutilized native species can
contribute to food security
• Put strategies and action plans in place to halt biodiversity loss
• Increase awareness on how biodiversity can contribute to food
and nutrition
Plants for the future - database
National school feeding programme:
Procurement of 30% from local farmers
Health in school programme:
• Evaluation of nutritional status
• Healthy eating lessons
• Health assistance for children in school
Exploiting nutrition potential of underused crop diversity
Food and Nutrition National Policy (PNAN)
Nutritional Guidelines for the Brazilian
Population (Nov/2014)
• Very strong appeal to regional
habits and foods
Considerations about sustainable use of
native biodiversity for food and nutrition
Chapter
‘Biodiversity for
Food and Nutrition’
Food Procurement Program (PAA)
Beneficiaries: family farmers and people in situation of food insecurity
Programme activities:
• Purchase from family farms and donate to
social assistance entities
• Establish networks to tie different local
associations
• Pays30% more for organic and agro-
ecological food
• Prioritize indigenous communities and
quilombolas
Photo credit: Conab
Put strategies and action plans in place to halt biodiversity loss
Revise National
Biodiversity Strategy
and Action Plan to
comply with Aichi
Biodiversity Targets of
the Convention on
Biological Diversity
A major reason for
biodiversity loss in Brazil
is limited appreciation of
use of biodiversity for
food and nutrition
Increase awareness on how biodiversity can contribute to food and nutrition
Weekly farmers’ market at the
Brasilia Botanical Garden
Cultural gastronomic events
like cooking demonstrations
and local tasting of native and
nutritious biodiverse foods
In partnership with:
Thank you