What is Agrobiodiversity?
The food we eat, and the way we produce it, impact both planetary and human health. Agriculture is a major driver of biodiversity loss – accounting for 70% of all freshwater use and more than a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, it is not providing us with the nutrients we need. One in ten people globally is food insecure. This alarming number is predicted to rise by up to 150 million due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vulnerable communities such as indigenous communities, women, and children will be most impacted by the food insecurity. To tackle these global challenges, we have an underused strategic asset in our toolbox – agrobiodiversity.
Agrobiodiversity is the wealth of different plants, animals, and micro-organisms that make up our food and agriculture systems. It is the menu of different foods we eat. We need to increase its use in diets and production systems to transform food systems to be more sustainable, equitable, and resilient. To learn more about the Congress’ commitment to Agrobiodiversity, visit the Alliance website by clicking here.
The Agrobiodiversity Congress is an inclusive, interactive, and action-oriented event, creating a platform to foster dialogue and identify solutions to transform food systems through the use and conservation of agrobiodiversity.
The 1st International Agrobiodiversity Congress and the Delhi Declaration (2016)
Credit: Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT
Held in New Delhi, India, from 6-9 November, 2016, the 1st International Agrobiodiversity Congress (IAC) was attended by over 900 participants from 60 countries. Congress delegates discussed various aspects of conservation, management, access and use of agrobiodiversity in 16 technical sessions, four satellite sessions, a genebank roundtable, a public forum, a farmers’ forum, and poster sessions.
The 1st IAC concluded with the adoption of the ‘Delhi Declaration on Agrobiodiversity Management' to develop a network of partnerships to strengthen the agrobiodiversity management system at national, regional, and global levels.