BACKGROUND
ON THE INDUSTRIAL CROPS PROGRAMME
Promotion
of industrial crops for sustainable development
Poverty is
the root cause of food insecurity. The major
industrial crops cover 18% of cultivable lands in
developing countries. They generate farm gate
revenues of US$190 billion and provide an income for
tens of millions of smallholders, helping to sustain
rural food production and keep prices stable, as well
as contributing to national import substitution
efforts.
Our aim is
to help boost the incomes of smallholders and thus
contribute to increased food security and sustainable
production through crop intensification,
diversification and extensification in both adaptive
and fragile ecosystems.
Promotion
of under-utilised genetic resources
The
integration of under-utilised species' varieties,
cultivars and gene-pools into existing agricultural
systems helps to enhance crop diversification for
food and income generation and add to agro-biodiversity.
This is one key element of the Global Plan of Action
for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.
Our
objective is to help increase the income of
smallholders through new crop and market options and
thus contribute to local food security and
sustainable production through crop diversification.
We are concerned with all crop groups: field food
grains and legumes, horticultural, industrial, and
feed.
Oil
palm - an example
Oil
palm has become the principal edible oil source for
many countries; resolving internal demand and
creating export surplus. To date, many African
countries have not been able to take advantage of
this as they lacked the climatic conditions for an
economical production. FAO and ASD de Costa Rica have
developed precocity and cold tolerance in oil palm
during the past 20 years with germplasm from Cameroon
and Tanzania crossed with DAMI Deli. Initial tests
showed that the material begins good production in 38
months at 1,000 masl in Western Ethiopia with a well
distributed rainfall of 1,800 mm. Previously, oil
palm would not grow or produce satisfactorily at
these elevations due to low temperatures. This
creates an opportunity for many African countries,
which are net importers of edible oils as well as
improving nutrition through vitamin A intake.
Technology transfer began in Ethiopia and continues
in Cameroon (the Village Women's Organisation,
Bamenda), Malawi (TCP/MLW/6612) and Zambia (GCP/ZAM/52/BEL).
The latest venture is in Kenya at the Mumias Sugar
Company, started in August 1999.
Unilever
and FAOR (Malawi) are investigating collaboration
with Vizara Estates in order to substitute palm oil
imports with local production.
PUBLICATIONS
CD - New Crop Compendium -
"Navigating new Crops", 1998
Books - A major publication
was produced in 1999 entitled 'Modern Coconut
Management'
Newsletters - We support
publication of 3 annual newsletters - Sesame &
Safflower, The International Center for Underutilised
Crops and The International Council of Medicinal
& Aromatic Plants.
STAFF
Please
contact us at:
The
Industrial Crop Group
Crop and
Grassland Service (AGPC)
Plant
Production and Protection Division
Agriculture
Department
Food and
Agriculture Organization HQ
Peter.Griffee@fao.org
FAO
Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Crop and
Grassland Service (AGPC)
Agricultural
Officer, Industrial Crops
Keith.Chapman@fao.org
