Foro Global sobre Seguridad Alimentaria y Nutrición (Foro FSN)

English translation below

En la actualidad, sabemos que estamos ante una retroalimentación negativa del ciclo del carbono con grandes emisiones de CO2 a la atmósfera y una reducción en el carbono orgánico en los suelos. La conversión de ecosistemas naturales como bosques y matorrales a zonas agrícolas reduce de manera dramática el carbono en los primeros cm del suelo, por lo que, secuestrar y almacenar el CO2 en forma de carbono orgánico en el subsuelo es una de las medidas mas importantes para reducir los impactos de el cambio climático . Las plantas CAM son eficientes en esta tarea y no implican una gran perturbación de los horizontes del suelo con lo que zonas que consideramos poco productivas por su lento ciclo de carbono se podrían incorporar al a estrategia de sumideros de carbono con consecuencias positivas a la biodiversidad a a la seguridad alimentaria.

At present, we know that we are facing a negative carbon cycle feedback, with large CO2 emissions into the atmosphere and a reduction in organic carbon in soils. The conversion of natural ecosystems -such as forests and bushes- to agricultural areas dramatically reduces carbon in the first cm of the soil. Therefore, sequestering and storing CO2 in the form of organic carbon in the subsoil is one of the most important measures to reduce the impact of climate change. CAM plants (plants using crassulacean acid metabolism, such as Cactaceae or Agave), are efficient in this task and do not imply a great disturbance of the soil horizons. Therefore, areas that we consider unproductive due to their slow carbon cycle could be incorporated into the carbon sink strategy, with positive consequences for both biodiversity and food security.

Dear moderators and colleagues, I am a researcher in Mexico and also part of the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative. I will summarize in the following paragraphs the examples from our work where: 1) a sustainable production system plays a key role for the conservation of the native crop and belowground biodiversity, 2) the historical transformation of such a system is playing a key role for the degradation of the such a biodiversity and their vital functioning, and 3) what we are doing to increase awareness of farmers, their organizations and decision-makers to raise awareness of the relevance of biodiversity and ecosystem services provided by soils for the food and agriculture production in small scale agriculture.

Land use intensification of naturally thin and nutrient poor soils has often been invoked as the prime explanation for reductions in food production and food security in tropical mountains. Little is considered the relative importance of cumulative land use legacies and current practices (like agrodiversity reduction) on soil functioning. For tropical mountains in Mexico where we have studied Milpas (the ancient Mexican maize-based polyculture that feeds the nation) the legacy of cropping years explains 8 to 22% of the variability in soil fertility and 5 to 22% of belowground taxa richness. The capacity of soils to establish mycorrhizal symbiosis diminishes with decreasing diversity of cultivated plants, while available P (Bray) increases with the diversity of crops. Compared to an introduced hybrid, some native maize landraces and their symbionts are much more efficient in obtaining P from very deficient soils. Many bacterial isolates from nitrogen fixing nodules correspond to bradyrhizobia closely related to native bradyrhizobia from the forest. The interactions of land use legacies with modernized current agricultural practices (monocultures with chemical fertilization) may be hampering the natural mechanisms that native diverse polycultures have to cope with naturally thin and nutrient poor soils and maize production has steadily decreased in the last 30 years, since homogenizing technological packages were introduced. The immense variety of locally developed crops benefits from symbiotic relationships with an equally diverse array of coevolved soil microorganisms. Understanding such a network is allowing us now to develop locally tailored technologies aimed at improving food security and conserving an invaluable indigenous below-above ground heritage.

The obstacles of sustainable agricultural production greatly stem from ignorance and the lack of a common language. It is urgent to innovate in communication strategies in order to create reciprocative links between farmers, scientists, consumers, and decision makers. We have created Soils! The underworld, a puppet show that is part of DeMano, our project for rural food security (http://www.fao.org/agroecology/database/detail/en/c/1043363/). Soils! focuses on taking care of the living organisms of the soil so it can produce nourishment for entire families. It reflects upon the complexity of the food security problems. All the actors in the problem go on stage. We show the great potential of integrating science and tradition in order to collectively face large-scale challenges such as soil deterioration, male migration, chronic malnourishment, and market inequity. We have found that puppet shows have a great power to sensitize everyone involved in the sustainable food security challenge; scientists, farmers, consumers, and authorities. It particularly appeals to audiences with low literacy levels and great empirical knowledge, a profile found in rural Mexico and several other places around the globe. We have experienced the vast convening power of the theater and puppet shows, much greater than any conference, workshop, or lecture. Farmers come to the show thinking it will be great for their kids, and leave the show as enriched and filled with ideas as their children.

I hope our experiences are useful inputs for this important forum, if details are required I will gladly provide corresponding scientific papers or other evidences available.

Best wishes,

Simoneta

Government of the Indian state of Odisha is Making History by Bringing Indigenous Landraces in to Seed Supply Chain - It had been an interesting case with farmers of Odisha in relation to acceptannce of high yielding varieties (HYVs) of paddy developed by Agriculture universities and ICAR institutes. These state supported institutes regularly develops new improved varieties, and release them into the market. however, acceptability of these HYVs had been very poor among farmers of the state. Only 4-5 paddy varieties such as "Swarna" have been accepted by farmers on a large scale. The situation had been worse in case of pulses, millets and oil seeds. No improved pulse variety had been accepted by farmers for the past 20 years. For more details:  https://www.facebook.com/Watershed-Support-Services-and-Activities-Netw…

I am a soil ecologist and also am associated with the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative. In New Zealand, we have conducted studies of links between pastoral agriculture (sheep and dairy), soil biodiversity, and soil ecosystem services such as nutrient and water supply. Soil invertebrates make important contributions to nutrient supply and water movement in the soil, as they feed on the soil organic matter and burrow through the soil. Soils and soil fauna of New Zealand pastures are coming under increasing pressures, as farmers increase fertiliser application and stocking rates to increase productivity. We have found that soil invertebrates with similar characteristics were consistent in their response to pasture management practices, particularly to changes in soil porosity due to livestock treading. We also found that the invertebrate contributions to nutrient supply in pastures remained important even in fertilised soils where nutrients were not limiting. Below are some examples of these studies.

1) Biodiversity is an important contributor to food security and improved nutrition. Could you share examples/activities in your work where

biodiversity is contributing in achieving food security and improved nutrition?

Soil invertebrates contribute to a wide range of soil services vital in agricultural soils, such as nutrient recycling through feeding, excretion, burrowing, casting, and litter incorporation. We investigated the influence of invertebrates on N cycling in a low-N and high-N environment in constructed ryegrass–white clover soil mesocosms (Schon et al. 2011a). We found that invertebrates improved N availability and N uptake by plants. At high bulk density and low N, the N made available by invertebrates resulted in higher plant growth, without any increases in N losses to the environment. The influence of invertebrates was dependent on bulk density, suggesting that invertebrates in compacted soils improved soil structure and N availability. In the high bulk density mesocosms, soil invertebrates stimulated the mineralisation of organic N and the uptake of N by plants at both low and high N fertility, but their contribution to N mineralisation was also more likely to be lost via leachate and gaseous emissions. This study highlights the importance of invertebrates in N supply and nutrient cycling in compacted and high fertility soils.  

We also sampled invertebrates (macrofauna, mesofauna and microfauna) from four paired commercial organically and conventionally managed dairy farms on different soil types in New Zealand (Schon et al. 2012), and calculated rates of invertebrate-mediated N mineralisation. The organic dairy operations used fewer nutrient inputs and had lower cow stocking rates than conventional farms, which meant lower calculated pasture production and less available plant litter entering the soil food web. Despite lower plant litter inputs, earthworm biomass was higher under organic management. Nitrogen mineralisation was higher in organic systems, with earthworms contributing the most (24–98 kg N/ha/year). As the cow stocking rate increased under conventional management, physical loading on the soil increased, and the ability of the soil to provide ecosystem services (i.e. N mineralisation and litter decomposition) became compromised. We concluded that organic management on four soil types stimulated soil biological activity and provision of ecosystem services such as N mineralisation. The higher stock treading pressure under conventional management reduced soil invertebrate activity and their influence on N mineralisation, which was not compensated by higher food supply.

 2) All agricultural sectors (crop and livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture) rely on biodiversity and on the ecosystem functions and services, they underpin. At the same time, these sectors may affect biodiversity through various direct and indirect drivers. Could you share examples/activities in your work

   where a (sustainable) production system played a key role for the conservation of the biodiversity surrounding it? Please provide detailed information you may have or know of and identify the agricultural sector.

In another study (Schon et al. 2008), the low-intensity pasture system with higher soil C:N ratio and lower sheep stocking rate supported lower earthworm numbers, but higher density and diversity of soil mesofauna and oribatid mites, which are considered indicators of soil disturbance. By comparison, the intensive pasture system had higher densities of introduced earthworms, but the native species Octochaetus multiporus had declined.

    where a(n) (unsustainable) production system played a key role for the degradation of the biodiversity surrounding it? Please provide detailed information you may have or know of and identify the agricultural sector.

Earthworms play an important role as primary decomposers in agricultural systems; they incorporate plant litter into the soil and mix soil layers. In Schon et al (2011b) we explored the response of earthworms to increasing fertiliser inputs, pasture production and livestock numbers in 21 sheep- and dairy-grazed pastures in a variety of soils and management regimes in New Zealand. Native earthworms were only found in some low-fertility pastures. Introduced earthworms (when present) dominated pasture soils. Anecic earthworms showed a positive response to the increasing pasture intensification (higher potential dry matter inputs and livestock loading), while epigeic earthworms declined. We suggest that due to their lower susceptibility to livestock treading pressure, anecic species may be a suitable substitute for incorporation of surface litter into the soil in pasture systems where livestock treading limits epigeic earthworm populations.

References:

Schon, N.L., A.D. Mackay, M.A. Minor, G. A. Yeates, and M.J. Hedley. 2008. Soil fauna in grazed New Zealand hill country pastures at two management intensities. Applied Soil Ecology 40(2):218-228.

Schon, N.L., A.D. Mackay, M.J. Hedley, and M.A. Minor. 2011a. Influence of soil faunal communities on nitrogen dynamics in legume-based mesocosms. Soil. Res. (New York) 2:1–12.

Schon, N.L., A.D. Mackay, and M.A. Minor. 2011b. Soil fauna in sheep-grazed hill pastures under organic and conventional livestock management and in an adjacent ungrazed pasture. Pedobiologia 54(3):161-168.

Schon, N.L., A.D. Mackay, M.J. Hedley, and M.A. Minor. 2012. The soil invertebrate contribution to nitrogen mineralisation differs between soils under organic and conventional dairy management. Biology and Fertility of Soils 48(1):31-42.

The Nation that destroys its soil destroys itself – Franklin D Roosevelt (1937)

These are insightful words that until recently have largely remained unheeded.

Soil is a key asset of natural capital, providing goods and services that sustain life through the support of food production, but with impacts beyond agricultural systems such as provision and promotion of biodiversity, carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas mitigation. It is therefore perplexing that soils have been significantly undervalued as an asset (Panagos et al., 2016).

Compounded with an ever-burgeoning global population, the area of soil usable for cultivation declined from 0.32 to 0.25 ha per capita between 1975 and 2000. The maintenance of food security delivered by a sustainable intensification of agriculture (Tilman et al., 2010) is arguably the greatest global challenge (Godfray et al., 2010). However, due to agricultural intensification, degradation threats to soils are numerous (Banwart, 2011; Powlson et al. 2011) with degradation estimated to extend to between 1-6 billion ha globally (Gibbs and Salmon, 2015).

Soils are a complex system delivered by a nexus of biology, chemistry and physics. The biodiversity of the soil system is the engine that drives the numerous processes that deliver the numerous ecosystem services including food production. The technological advances in recent decades has provided the opportunity for initial understanding of the interactions and couplings of the tripartite nexus. However, there is so much more to learn and with a plethora of anthropogenic derived impacts such as a changing climate there is a clear imperative for soil biodiversity in an agricultural context to have a core research focus to underpin and improve food security.

1) Biodiversity is an important contributor to food security and improved nutrition and 2) All agricultural sectors (crop and livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture) rely on biodiversity and on the ecosystem functions and services, they underpin. At the same time, these sectors may affect biodiversity through various direct and indirect drivers.

Forward thinking policymakers have recognised this need. For example, in Scotland, the devolved government has funded a 5 year (2016-2021) strategic research programme which amongst a diverse research portfolio on soils includes a research deliverable “Soil and its Ecosystem Function”, that seeks to characterise soil biodiversity identifying its key roles in ecosystem processes in particular carbon and nutrient cycling; the contribution of soil physical and chemical properties and processes to ecosystem functions and the role and importance of soil in sustaining above-ground biodiversity in different systems and habitats including fragile ecosystems (e.g. Paterson et al., 2011; Ghee et al., 2013; Chen et al., 2014; Vink et al., 2014; O’Callaghan et al., 2018).

4) The importance of biodiversity for improved food security and better nutrition is not always evident to those engaged in agricultural sectors.

My personal research aligns with the overarching aims of The Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative, which I am a member, seeks to promote the translation of expert knowledge on soil biodiversity into environmental policy and sustainable land management for the protection and enhancement of ecosystem services. A current example of this is a national scale project (SoilBio, funded by Innovate UK) which seeks to develop with industry partners a tool that can be deployed on-farm to assess soil health and thereby inform farmers of potential positive management interventions to sustainably maximise yield. By project end, we will have characterised approximately 30 parameters encompassing the nexus of soil biology (soil nematode communities), chemistry and physics for c. 6000 soil samples across the UK in the context of management strategies and resource inputs. In the specific context of this project, to raise awareness of soil biodiversity related issues we engage directly with farmers and national associations through delivery of workshops and meetings. Furthermore, organisations such as the Sustainable Soils Alliance (https://sustainablesoils.org/) directly engage with policymakers, and is working to bring together all stakeholders in soil health to create a forum to influence positive change, identify beneficial policy principles and create the frameworks that will support the development of healthy soil for future generations.

References

Banwart. 2011. Save our soils. Nature 474, 151-152.

Chen et al. 2014. Long-term effects of P fertiliser on soil microbial and nematode community structure in a grazed grassland, in relation to nutrient stoichiometry. Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 75, 94-101.

Ghee et al. 2013. Priming of soil organic matter mineralisation is intrinsically insensitive to temperature. Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 66, 20-28.

Gibbs and Salmon. 2015. Mapping the world’s degraded lands. Applied Geography, 57, 12-21.

Godfray et al. 2010. Food security: the challenge of feeding 9 billion people. Science 327, 812-818.

O’Callaghan et al. 2018. A new approach for screening plant-nematode interactions in the rhizosphere. Scientific Reports, 8, 1440.

Panagos et al. 2016. Soil conservation in Europe: wish or reality? Land Degradation & Development 27, 1547–1551.

Paterson et al. 2011. Altered food web structure and C-flux pathways associated with mineralisation of organic amendments to agricultural soil. Applied Soil Ecology, 48, 107-116.

Powlson et al. 2011. Soil management in relation to sustainable agriculture and ecosystem services. Food Policy 36, S72-S87.

Tilman et al. 2010. Global food demand and the sustainable intensification of agriculture. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 108, 20260-20264.

Vink et al. 2014. Temporal and land use effects on soil bacterial community structure of the machair, an EU Habitats Directive Annex 1 low-input agricultural system. Applied Soil Ecology, 73, 116-123.

Soil biodiversity is mainly completely ignored in a conventional agriculture. However, its benefits to soil structure, fertility, nutrient cycling and water percolation has been observed and proven in many experiments and described in many papers. However, the conventional tillage and removal of surface residues (and other "routines") have a detrimental effect on, for instance, earthworm populations with a particular impact on deep burrowing (anecic) species. The balance between methods used in agriculture (tillage, pesticides and fertilizer usage, residue removal) to maintain high productivity and keeping the soil biodiversity in order to gain the best from it and save soils should be our goal.

Biodiversity means variety of lives in a certain environment, in an ecosystem one is made for another and it is important for sustainability.

There is always a problem in everywhere but there is also the solution. In the agriculture there are many problematic pests but there are also natural enemies, antagonistic lives. These things helps in the sustainable agricultural production. If the biodiversity is disturbed than the problems starts to arise, it means we have to use the foreign tools to manage the problems than the chemical used in the production increases the cost of production and poisoned foods.

Likewise, biodiversity is also have big role in water animals like fishes. When I was child I and my friend used to go for fishing nearby the ditches and wetlands. We used to catch many fishes but now due to the human activities like disturbing the water source by making roads, converted to the farm land and use of chemicals to catch the fish, now there is difficult to see the frogs too. Instantly we are not suffering from any kind of problems but I think the problem may arises in future. It clear impact is on those ethnic group who used to go for fishing for their livelihood and I think the impact also hits in the commercial ponds soon because they are nearby the farmland where many chemicals are used as agriculture inputs.

Forest ecosystem greatly impacts on farm. Nowadays the predator animals like tiger, lion are killed for their body part and the number of animals like deer, boar, porcupine etc. which destroy the crops are increasing. It’s difficult to control those animals by the farmers. Every years the wild animals destroy the tons of food.

Biodiversity should maintain for the food security and better nutrition.

Thanks

A key enabling factor (Question 3) for biodiversity is supporting investments – both public and private - that conserve biodiversity, use biological resources sustainably and share benefits equitably.

In 2014, the Committee on World Food Security adopted the Principles for Responsible Investments in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI) that aim to guide governments, civil society and the private sector to support responsible investments. One of the ten principles is dedicated to the conservation and management of natural resources and calls for investments ‘supporting and conserving biodiversity’ and ‘contributing to the restoration of ecosystem functions and services’.

To support the operationalization of the CFS-RAI and responsible investments that take into account biodiversity, FAO has developed a multiyear Umbrella Programme Supporting Responsible Investments in Agriculture and Food Systems. For example, under this programme, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), together with FAO, has launched a pilot project with thirty leading enterprises to implement the OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains. This guidance, specifically designed for enterprises, builds on the CFS-RAI and calls for supporting the conversation of biodiversity. Through the pilot project, the OECD and FAO are strengthening the ability of enterprises to build responsible supply chains, including by taking into account natural resource management and biodiversity.

As the activities under the Umbrella Programme are developing, further awareness raising and capacity development activities are foreseen that support key actors such as parliamentarians, government officials and farmers organizations with enhancing responsible investment; including those investments that improve and conserve biodiversity.

Those that are interested in the Umbrella Programme can send their queries to [email protected] .

1) Biodiversity is an important contributor to food security and improved nutrition. Could you share examples/activities in your work where

biodiversity is contributing in achieving food security and improved nutrition?

Some of my colleagues in Chile which with whom I collaborate, are working in several topics regarding this issue. The overall goal of some of these projects is to use crop and wild biodiversity to achieve food security.

- For example, the program 'Wine, Climate Change & Biodiversity', over the last years has focused on the biodiversity and ecosystem services proveded by vineyards and their surrounding natural habitats: http://www.vccb.cl/english/index.html

Several scientific publications by Prof. Olga Barbosa have appeared in this regard: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=es&user=McN2nPIAAAAJ&view_op=li…;

- Also, in our laboratory we are starting to use arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inocula from pristine Patagonian forest to inoculate cereals, resulting in their higher production and higher tolerance to stressful conditions as high Aluminium and low phosphorus: 

http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0718-95162016005000065 

http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0718-95162017000400010 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2017.05.031

2) All agricultural sectors (crop and livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture) rely on biodiversity and on the ecosystem functions and services, they underpin. At the same time, these sectors may affect biodiversity through various direct and indirect drivers. Could you share examples/activities in your work

where a (sustainable) production system played a key role for the conservation of the biodiversity surrounding it? Please provide detailed information you may have or know of and identify the agricultural sector.

The same program 'Wine, Climate Change & Biodiversity', has proved to change agricultural practices, and has had a positive effect on mediterranean Chilean biodiversity (birds; microbiological diversity). http://www.vccb.cl/english/index.html

3) Good governance, enabling frameworks, and stewardship initiatives are needed to facilitate mainstreaming of biodiversity within and across agricultural sectors.

Which partners need to be involved in institutional frameworks, policies and processes for biodiversity mainstreaming to strengthen them?

All partners imaginable: producers, academia, consumers, goverment, ONGs. 

4) The importance of biodiversity for improved food security and better nutrition is not always evident to those engaged in agricultural sectors.

What needs to be done to increase awareness of farmers, livestock keepers, fisher folks and foresters, their organizations and the industry of the relevance of biodiversity and ecosystem services for the food and agriculture production in their sector?

A well-thought education in ecology and basic concepts of biodiversity and its economic and intrisic values. The overall message that sustainable production often ends in bigger economic inputs (economic ecology). A basic understanding on how and ecosystem works, and a basic phylosophy that their productive systems also constitute ecosystems. 

Agriculture is the science or practice of farming, including the growing of crops and the rearing of animals to provide food, wool, and other products while biodiversity is the variety of different types of life found on the Earth etc. It is a measure of the variety of organisms present in different ecosystems. In this context Ethiopian agriculture is exemplary to this biological diversity. Ethiopian small holders grow cereals, pulses, oil crops, fruits and vegetable. They also rear cattle, small ruminant, poultry etc. They also multi purpose trees (fodder, tree seedlings. This mixed farm system (crop-livestock and forestry ) contributes to the biodiversity. In Ethiopia, the institute of biodiversity promotes gene bank to prevent genetic erosion. International Livestock research Institute’s Fodder bank also preserves fodder. This is also being promoted at community level to maintain biodiversity. This indeed requires further integration between Academic/research with extension service delivery and farmers as end users and feed back providers. Farmers’ training centers and rural school farms can serve as demonstration centers for enhancing scaling up and achieving wider impact.

I believe that National and International NGOs can play a significant role in the dissemination process. For example the national NGO I represent made little contribution in this regard by promoting nutrition sensitive agriculture, initiating seedling production women groups, vegetable production, poultry keeping, small ruminant rearing, cattle fattening, fuel efficient stove production and agroforestry all of which attempts to reduce pressure on environment. Diversification of crop livestock production and their integration will contribute to mainstreaming of biodiversity into agriculture and producing nutrient rich food (protein, vitamin, carbohydrates etc).