What is Agrobiodiversity and the new Index?
“Agrobiodiversity is the foundation of sustainable food systems. It boosts total productivity and quality of nutrition in the diet. It increases resilience, soil health and water quality while reducing the need for water, synthetic fertilizers and other costly inputs.It reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared to less diverse farms,” states Bioversity International’s own website, leaving us in no doubt that agrobiodiversity is the future of farming.
The newly released Index looks at the means by which territories are approaching the issues posed by failing to employ an agrobiodiversity approach, which can culminate in all of the factors listed by Bioversity International, and threatens the very existence of the human race.
Agrobiodiversity includes all natural elements which form a part of agricultural production (including the more than 6,000 species to date which have been successfully cultivated as food sources). Yet the fact remains that so much more can and must be done, not just to make agricultural production more sustainable, but to actually increase yields at the same time.
The benefits
This is not just about being environmentally more respectful, this is about tackling serious global issues such as poverty by approaching the way we farm in a more efficient and productive manne.As well as increasing output, crops could be cultivated to grow in harsher environments such as those found in areas likely to be the scene of famines, and develop crops which contain higher proportions of nutrients, therefore making the food itself more efficient.
The Index contents
So far, only ten countries are covered by the Index, due to the lack of data available and lack of cooperation from so many more countries. As well as measuring the extent to which agrobiodiversity is employed within a country, it also examines progress made by each government in terms of implementing and conserving agrobiodiversity across the three main tenets of diet, production, and genetic resourcesThe aim
The long-term aim is to eradicate those issues so succinctly summed up by Bioversity International, but by achieving this through maximizing resources in terms of all the agricultural products at the disposal of farmers to increase the quality of the soil and water sources, and of course dramatically reduce the usage of dangerous and harmful pesticides and other chemical products.Fertilizers are having a massively detrimental impact upon biodiversity in all regions around the world, so eradicating their usage by finding sustainable and effective alternative food sources developed out of agrobiodiversity is key.
Benefits to farmers
The advantages to individual farmers around the globe are huge. Not only will it make farming more resilient, for example, because crops will be less likely to fail and will be better placed to stand up to natural phenomena, it will also maximize productivity and see farmers secure better consistent prices for what they produce.Environmental benefits
That advantages are also greater than just to farmers, as we are talking about the future of the planet’s environment, a growing and pressing concern. agricultural biodiversity increases natural pollinators and other natural soil organisms which improve biodiversity but also protects against epidemics caused by pests.These practices will develop and enhance the natural environments for those natural organisms which work to sustain food sources for the generations ahead, leading to a healthily outlook for our planet.
Conclusion
In summary, the report arrives at the point that in order to reduce the impact felt by biodiversity loss around the world, disparate groups need to work together. The solution involves agricultural workers, environmentalists, nutrition and health professionals and ultimately governments to collaborate and share ideas in order to not only conserve biodiversity, but to utilize it in order to improve the lives of farmers around the world, but even more importantly protect against climate catastrophe and find sustainable and efficient food production systems which will feed the entire planet, not just the lucky ones.What's more?
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Web developer enthusiast at Academic Writing Service and Essay Writer, as well as agricultural enthusiast, Beatrix Potter loves nothing better than assisting organizations in their digital marketing approach and educating a greater public on all things agriculture. She is also an editor at academic service Paper Fellows.
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