Roles of On-farm Conservation and Underutilized Crops in the Wake of Climate Change

1. Roles of On-farm Conservation and Underutilized Crops in the Wake of Climate Change Bhuwon Sthapit, Stefano Padulosi & Bhag Mal Bioversity International 17-18 December 2009, ISPGR, New Delhi

2. Climate change is already happening! What do the 21 models say? Jarvis, FAO meeting, 2008

3. Summary • Climate change will happen, no matter what • It will get hotter, some places dryer, others wetter • We still don’t know what will happen in some places • Both challenges and opportunities in agriculture

4. Implications of climate change critical to agriculture • Sufficient evidence • CC is already eroding biodiversity –landraces and wild relatives • Long term and irreversible • Consequences of CC on species diversity • Changes in distribution • Increased extinction rates • Changes in phenology • Proliferation of weeds and pests and invasive species • The suitability of species/genotypes changes in both positive and negative ways

5. Magnitude of climate change

6. Changes in crop suitability Average changes in suitability for the HADCM3 model (top) and CCCMA model (bottom). Blue = increase in suitabilityRed = reduction in suitability. Crops includeAnnex 1 of ITPGRFA Other cash crops Jarvis, FAO Meeting, 2008

7. Impacts of climate change on crops From Lobell et al., 2008. Science319:607-610

8. Climate variability and risk has always been a part of agriculture Community concern is always with increase uncertainty in climatic variables –speed of change! Extreme events, their frequencies and predictability! Knowledge gap on how these farmers and communities are coping with climate change over the years? Bring together two knowledge systems Community concerns

9. Portfolio of farming practices Integrated crop-livestock-tree farming Crop diversification Farming with perennials (e.g. home gardens; agro-forestry) Livestock diversity adds resilience to agricultural production systems Portfolio of management practices -Enriching soil carbon Seed priming Minimum tillage practices Farmer’s strategy: Diversity for adversity

10. Portfolio of farming system Portfolio of management practices Portfolio of crop varieties 69 cultivars Bhatti-wetter years Southyari-extreme drier years Mansara-marginal Farmer’s strategy: Diversity for adversity Southyari

11. On-farm conservation/on-farm management: adapt, evolve and buffer Farmers Forest / wild Distribution Gene Bank (ex situ) Seed Seed quality control 1. Saved own Planting Exchange INFORMAL SYSTEM 75-97% Cultivation Market 2. Barter/gift 3. Sale/purchase Harvest Consumption Storage Seed production Breeding FORMAL SYSTEM 3-25%

12. On-farm conservation • On-farm conservation of agricultural biodiversity refers to the maintenance of traditional crop varieties (landraces) or cropping systems by farmers within in the natural habitats where they occur-in farmers’ fields and uncultivated plant communities. (Altieri and Merrick, 1987)

13. Why On-farm conservation? • Conserve the evolutionary processes of local adaptation of crops to local conditions; • Conserve diversity at all levels; ecosystem, species and intra-specific (genetic) levels –adaptation strategy for CC • Conserve ecosystem services and functions • Conserve diversity for livelihoods for resource poor farmers • Maintain or increase farmers’ control over and access to genetic resources • Maintain traditional knowledge in the community • Integrate farming community to national conservation efforts • Support national commitment to the CBD, ITPGRFA and farmer’s rights

14. Basic questions to understand farmer management of crop diversity Far • WHAT: The amount and distribution of genetic diversity maintained by farmers over time and space • HOW: The processes used to maintain genetic diversity on-farm • WHO: The people who maintain genetic diversity on-farm and who make decisions • WHY: The factors that influence farmer decision making to maintain diversity

15. Results are GLOBAL – for all crops and all countries • 2.0 • 1.5 • 1.0 • 0.5 • LN Farm richness • 0.0 • 0.0 • 0.5 • 1.0 • 1.5 • 2.0 • -LN(1-Farm evenness) Landrace richness and evenness at the farm level Above the line: High dominance with much richness at low frequencies: Diversity maintained as an insurance to meet change Neutral function Below the line More even frequency distribution: Farmers are selecting varieties to serve current needs Ln Farm richness • Black circle = staples • Gray circle = non-staples -Ln (1- Farm evenness) Jarvis et al. 2008 PNAS 105 (14):5326-5331

16. Four-cell diversity analysis as a widely adapted tool Many households, Large areas Few households, Large areas Participatory extent and distribution analysis Many households, Small areas Few households, Small areas

17. CBM platform: Participatory learning for understanding local crop diversity and associated traditional knowledge Rice diversity in Begnas village, Nepal

18. 81 115 172 Dudhe anadi 181 Gift Ekle, anadi Purchase Ekle Mansara Purchase Exchange Madhese Madhese 48 173 125 Gurdi Exchange Purchase 53 182 Purchase Ekle Kathe gurdi Exchange Purchase 152 Ekle Purchase Seto gurdi Pakhe Gift Gurdi Gift Rato anadi Gift Gift Jetho budho 26 OS Kathe gurdi Exchagne Panhele 23 67 126 OS Exchange Exchange Kathe gurdi OS Exchange Madhese Purchase K. gurdi Exchange Sano madhese 156 47 Purchase Radha 151 Exchange 199 Mansuli Exchange 157 Mixed grain 110 Madhese Exchange 37 Madhese Exchange 158 OS OS Exchange Radha Radha Mana muri 167 OS Madhe Exchange Exchange Gift 159 Radha 9 Exchange Gift Khumal 4 OS Radha 9 Sabitri 111 Exchange 9 38 Thulo madhese Gift Gift Exchange Gift 144 41 Radha 9 163 Mansuli Exchange Gift Radha 9 Gift Radha 9 Purchase Pakhe jarneli Food grain 204 Exchange Thulo mansuli 16 Exchange Exchange 76 Food grain Radha 9 90 Exchange Exchange Pakhe jarneli Radha Mansuli 205 Exchange Exchange Exchange 8 Radha Exchange 78 Naltumme Radha 9 206 Mansuli Gift Naltumme Gift Exchange Gift 164 40 Radha 9 Exchange 207 OS 165 Fig 1. Farmers’ network on rice seed flow in Begnas eco-site (Subedi et al 2003. Culture and Agriculture 25(2);41-50) Who maintains diversity and how? Social seed network Diversity Flexibility Selection • What is farmer system? • own saved seed • exchange • gifts • purchase • Who is nodal farmer? • high frequency of exchange seed and information to other farmers • Who is innovator? • search • select • maintain • exchange • Meta-population Theory • migration • colonization

19. Social seed network and system resilience Vulnerable to climate change Community interventions? Resilient to climate change Size of networks-large vs. small; open vs. close network (Paudel et al., 2008)

20. National Formal Breeding Genebank Household seed store Strengthening Local Capacity for Community led Climate Change Adaptation Options Community bio-diversity register/ Community seed bank • VA • PPB Diversity fair/ kits* Farmer’s seed supply system Community-based PGR management (Source: Sthapit and Jarvis, 1999)

21. Consolidating role of farmers as conservers, promoters of diversity and as dynamic Innovators to cope climate change! Outside Farmer’s Varieties (1, 2, 3) Selection Selection Selection Farmer’s seed system Farmer Varieties (1, 2, 3) Wild relatives Field (1, 2, 3) (1, 2, 3) (1, 2, 3) Selection Community seed bank and exchange PPB (1, 2, 3) Selection (1, 2, 3) Adapted gene pool (1, 2, 3) Biotechnology (4) (1, 2, 3) Breeders’ Varieties Breeders’ seed system Commercial farmers Plant, animal microbe species (1, 2, 3) UPOV - NDUS Patent – ND New, non-obvious inventive step, utility CertificationDUS Basic concerns:(1) ACCESS;(2) IPR;(3) MARKET;(4) BIOSAFETY (Sajise et al., 2007)

22. Conceptual framework for using genetic diversity to adapt to climate change Creating local varieties Knowledge/skills Community based genetic resource management (e.g. PVS, PPB) CBM Adaptation Mitigation Improve on-farmconservation Farmersempowerment Social customs/practices Rules/ institutions

23. Relations between CBM, in situ conservation and Empowerment In-situ/On-farmConservation Community A method to realize in situ /on-farm conservation Pre-condition Empowerment Incentive CBM CBM is a good practice for empowering community

24. Steps for establishing CBM • Enhancing community awareness • Understanding local biodiversity, social networks and institutions • Capacity building of community institution • Setting up of institutional working modalities • Consolidating community roles in planning and implementation • Establishing a CBM trust fund • Community monitoring, evaluation and social auditing • Social learning and scaling up for community collective actions

25. Partners in Change and Innovation Implementing Institutions A new role in institutional & professional capacity building Farmers’ Organisations Development Agencies Extension Services NGOs Agri-business Policy Bodies Environmentalist associations Consumer organisations Cultivating partnership-3Ms Research Institutes

26. Challenges • If genetic resources are going to conserved on-farm, it must happen as a spin off of farmer’s production and livelihood strategies. • This means conservation efforts must be carried out within the framework of farmer’s livelihood, income and cultural values.

27. What are the strategies for on-farm conservation and livelihood gains? • STRATEGIES • Improve access of materials and information • Develop market incentives for traditional varieties • Improve competitiveness of local varieties

28. Strategic decisions: Empowering community for setting development and conservation agenda On-farm conservation Large area; Many HHs Large area; Few HHs CBR Small area; Many HHs Small area; Few HHs Ex situ conservation Improve access Improve materials Recognition Value addition Market links

29. Luffa cylindrica L. Community action 1: Improved access to unique materials and information to wider groups Traits: aroma, taste, delayed net 1998 1 HH Diversity fair • Good practices • Diversity fairs • Diversity blocks • Diversity kits • CBR • Community seed • bank 2000 Diversity block 7HH 2001 70 Diversity kits 2002 195 HHs 1998Rare 2002 Common Improved access by community actions; many examples

30. Community Action 2: Maximize use of diversity-NUS-Crops for the future using PPB methods Capsicum microcarpum L. Trewia nudiflora L. Momordica cochinchinensis L. Sechium edule L. Coccinea grandisL. Luffa cylindrica L. Cucurbita moschata L. Cyphomandra betacea L. Brassica juncea var. rayo Dolichos lablab L. Colocasia esculenta L. Dioscorea spp. L. There will never be enough plant breeders for all crops for all situations!

31. Diversity assessment N=338 Community action 3: Enhance local materials Market survey Selection of preferred traits Post harvest trait On-farm testing & Seed production Production Trait: Ability to elongate 12 mm after cooking Marketing

32. What you grow today might not be what you need tomorrow What do we need to do? • Understand and use the intra-specific diversity among the traditional varieties maintained by farmers • Adapt breeding programs to develop genetic resources adapted to intra-specific mixtures (Finckh 2008) • Integrating diverse trees, livestock, aquatics species and crops (including NUS) to buffer changing environmental conditions and improve resilience capacity

33. What you grow today might not be what you need tomorrow What do we need to do? • Strengthen farmer seed systems to promote open, dynamic and integrated genetic system to cope climate change at the local level • Empower community for community based conservation actions (e.g. seed fair, diversity kits, CBR, CSB, CBSP) • GB, PVS and PPB • Consolidate farmer’s role as conservers, promoter of diversity and dynamic innovator by strengthening farmer’s seed system • PGR organization should cultivate new partnership

34. Diseases of concern to the US major crops • Bacteria causing fire blight in apples • Ug99 + related strains of stem rust in wheat • New strains of rice blast disease • Potatoblight is re-emerging Qualset and Shands, 2005 Climate change is already happening We cannot predict which new pest or pathogen will develop or how the rain will fall next year -- but we can use agricultural biodiversity to have a diverse set of crop varieties in agricultural systems to increase the options to buffer against an unpredictable change. This explains why on-farm conservation can play key role in future! Quelle: http://www.grida.no/climate/ipcc_tar/slides/ppt/05.19.ppt (courtesy Axel Drescher)

35. Thank you very much