In the last few decades, a global concern over world plant genetic resources and an international commitment for conservation have become the main features of sustainable agricultural development, as upheld in the Programme of Action for Sustainable Development (Agenda 21) of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. The World Food Summit Plan of Action reflects this theme in Commitment No 3, which recognizes the significance of responsible agricultural practices, judicious use of natural resources and protection of biodiversity to achieve sustainable food security as wee as the role of women in these spheres. Recent adoption of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture at the FAO Conference, November 2001, marks a milestone in the march towards judicious conservation and fair and equitable sharing of the resources and benefits accrued from them, including realization of farmers’ rights.
For the protection of biodiversity, the stress is on understanding the local knowledge systems and the role of indigenous communities. Conservation of plant genetic resources depends first and foremost on these communities, but they are increasingly documented by applying scientific methods. The scientific quest into the knowledge of local communities, particularly indigenous ones, will underpin the designing of sustainable programmes for plant genetic resource conservation through local stewardship. Such studies and programmes should specifically address the role of women in indigenous communities as local conservators of plant genetic resources, seed managers and keepers of local knowledge.
Furthermore, as globalization and market integration within the countries accelerate, there are threats to both biodiversity and local conservation practices. It may become necessary to promote conservation through economic incentives in order to discourage exploitation of local plant genetic resources by external economic agents. Hence, pragmatic partnerships should be developed to balance commercial interests and conservation ethics, and to ensure a sustainable genetic resource base to achieve food security. As resource transactions and trade move away from the local communities, the social role of women and their economic contribution to food security may be threatened.
The FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific acknowledges the intricate dynamics of indigenous women’s stewardship in the conservation and management of plant genetic resources of relevance to household food security. Hence, a programme area focuses on "Gender dimensions in agrobiodiversity management for food security". Under this programme this publication is one of a series of studies, undertaken in collaboration with the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation in Chennai, India, to highlight the issues on tribal women’s role in Agrobiodiversity conservation and to provide examples of economic incentives for conservation.
I am hopeful that studies such as this one will enrich the knowledge of the scientific and development communities for the dual purpose of achieving conservation of plant genetic resources and food security that explicitly includes women as key stakeholders.
R.B. SINGH
Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative
FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
February 2002
