Once a species is extinct, it takes millions of years for new species to evolve in their place.

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1 Forum: Economic and Social Council Issue: The Question of Agricultural Biodiversity (crop diversity) Student Officer: Mr. Niels Boender Position: Vice President of ECOSOC Introduction Agricultural Biodiversity is an aspect of general biodiversity, that focuses on issues related to growing of food and all components of biological diversity that constitute the agricultural ecosystems, also named agro-ecosystems. This issue therefore impacts both the economic and social landscape around the world, and requires the assembly s attention. Biodiversity is built over millions of years, due to extended periods of evolution, and extremely diverse habitats such as tropical rainforests have taken long time to develop. Biodiversity is the basis of agriculture. It has enabled farming systems to evolve ever since agriculture was first developed some 10,000 years ago and thereby must be conserved. Once a species is extinct, it takes millions of years for new species to evolve in their place. Biodiversity and agriculture are strongly interrelated because while biodiversity is critical for agriculture, agriculture can also contribute to conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. Indeed, sustainable agriculture both promotes and is enhanced by biodiversity. Maintenance of this biodiversity is essential for the sustainable production of food and other agricultural products and the benefits these provide to humanity, including food security, nutrition and livelihoods. On Earth there are several ecosystems, which exhibit a high amount of biodiversity, such as deserts, marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, forests, in particular old growth forests and rainforests. Agricultural areas are therefore not generally seen as hotbeds of biodiversity but in favour of all human agricultural biodiversity must be preserved. This is important because diverse species are more resistant to diseases such as those that created the Irish Potato Famine, which was caused by a lack of agricultural biodiversity. Pre-industrial agriculture and the infiltration of species were major reasons for the increase of species diversity until the 19th century. Along with the industrialisation and the intensification of agriculture the change and destruction of biotopes from animals and plants increased enormously since mid 19th century and for the last 50 years in particular. The situation of a great amount of almost extinct species is mainly caused by human beings since mass agriculture, the exploitation of the land, the removal of habitats for agriculture and general disregard are all economically efficient and therefore economically beneficial in the short term, while damaging in the long term. All countries with large natural habitats such as Brazil should especially take more steps to conserving Biodiversity, but all nations should get involved due to the manner in which agricultural Research Report Page 1 of 10

2 biodiversity can aid in the resilience of a crop in the face of environmental crises. The following issues relating to agricultural biodiversity must be considered. 1 1) Genetic resources for food and agriculture: Plant genetic resources, including crops, wild plants harvested and managed for food Animal genetic resources, including domesticated animals, wild animals hunted for food, wild and farmed fish and other aquatic organisms, Microbial and fungal genetic resources. 2) Aspects of biodiversity that support ecosystem services which agriculture is based on. These include a diverse range of organisms that contribute, at various scales to, nutrient cycling, pest and disease regulation, pollination, pollution and soil regulation, maintenance of the hydrological cycle, erosion control, and climate regulation and carbon sequestration. 3) Abiotic factors, such as local climatic and chemical factors and the physical structure and functioning of ecosystems, which have a determining effect on agricultural biodiversity. These could be artificially managed to aid agricultural biodiversity. 4) Socio-economic and cultural dimensions. Agricultural biodiversity is largely shaped and maintained by human activities and management practices, and a large number of people depend on agricultural biodiversity for sustainable livelihoods. These dimensions include traditional and local knowledge of agricultural biodiversity, cultural factors and participatory processes, as well as tourism associated with agricultural landscapes The Conference of the Parties of United Nation Environment Programme has recognised "the special nature of agricultural biodiversity, its distinctive features, and problems needing distinctive solutions". Several features set agricultural biodiversity apart other components of biodiversity: Agricultural biodiversity is essential to satisfy basic human needs for food and livelihood security. Agricultural biodiversity has been - and is still - shaped and developed through human activities and practices over generations. Farmers communities play a key role as custodians and managers of agricultural biodiversity. This is why local and traditional knowledge and culture are considered as integral parts of agricultural biodiversity management. Because of the degree of human management, conservation of agricultural biodiversity in production systems is inherently linked to sustainable use. Nonetheless, much agricultural biodiversity is now conserved in gene banks or breeders' materials. For crops and domestic animals, diversity within species is at least as important as diversity between species and has been greatly expanded through agriculture. Many farming systems are based on alien crop species introduced from elsewhere; this creates a high degree of interdependence between countries for the genetic resources for food and agriculture. 1 Research Report Page 2 of 10

3 Background Since the industrial revolution the situation of global and agricultural biodiversity has been decreasing immensely and at a rapid pace. This situation is going to continue, unless international uni-lateral action is taken. This action can be taken in multiple fields, but focus must be placed on the establishment and strengthening of agencies combined with the subsidising and sanctioning to steer the course these nations take. 2 2 snipview.com Research Report Page 3 of 10

4 As we can see in this diagram, created by the National Centre for Genetic Resources Preservation, the difference in genetic diversity between 1903 and 1983 has decreased at a devastating rate, and are now at 5% of their original levels. This will in the future lead to devastating effects, because it will allow entire crops to be wiped out by specific fungi or other microbes as happened in the Irish Potato Famine. Before this event only one type of potato was grown on Ireland, commonly known as the Irish Lumper, and was therefore wiped out by on fungi the Phytophthora infestans. As you can see in the above graph the amount of agricultural area used is always going up, especially in developing economies, normally areas with fragile wildlife and that are biologically diverse. Facts about the current situation: 70 per cent of the world s poor live in rural areas and depend directly on biodiversity for their survival and wellbeing : 40 per cent loss of biodiversity. The average abundance of species decreased enormously Unsustainable consumption continues as demand for resources worldwide exceeds the biological capacity of the earth by about 20 per cent. To summarise, two main areas must be tackled, the actual biodiversity of the crops and animals used in agriculture, so to aid in the defence of the actual products, and the biodiversity of the areas that are affected by agricultural, for example the Amazon rainforest being affected by the rise of beef agriculture in this area. Important Documents and previous decision made 1. Millennium Development Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability Research Report Page 4 of 10

5 Target 7A: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes and reverse the loss of environmental resources Target 7B: Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss. The Biodiversity Target under the MDG framework originates from the Convention on Biological Diversity. This Target stimulated action to safeguard biodiversity, for example by establishing more protected areas (both on land and in coastal waters), increasing conservation measures for particular species, and developing initiatives to tackle some of the direct causes of ecosystem damage, such as pollution and alien species invasions. 2. Outcome Document of 2010 MDG Summit, Keeping the promise: United to achieve the Millennium Development Goals 3 - Addressing environmental challenges to sustainable agricultural development such as loss of biodiversity, and promoting the development and dissemination of sustainable agricultural technologies and the transfer of such technologies;(para 70t) 3. Commitment to implement the Johannesburg Plan, - 4 Biodiversity considerations are reflected in the Plan of Implementation, including within a separate section (para 44a-t) containing a target for achievement by 2010 of a significant reduction in the current rate of loss of biological diversity. 4. Strategic Plan for Biodiversity and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets: "Living in harmony with nature 5 - Important Targets are listed below: Target 1: By 2020, at the latest, people are aware of the values of biodiversity and the steps they can take to conserve and use it sustainably. Target 3: By 2020, at the latest, incentives, including subsidies, harmful to biodiversity are eliminated, phased out or reformed in order to minimize or avoid negative impacts, and positive incentives for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity are developed and applied, consistent and in harmony with the Convention and other relevant international obligations, taking into account national socio economic conditions. Target 4: By 2020, at the latest, Governments, business and stakeholders at all levels have taken steps to achieve or have implemented plans for sustainable production and consumption and have kept the impacts of use of natural resources well within safe ecological limits, stocks, species and ecosystems are within safe ecological limits. Target 7: By 2020 areas under agriculture, aquaculture and forestry are managed sustainably, ensuring conservation of biodiversity Research Report Page 5 of 10

6 Target 9: By 2020, invasive alien species and pathways are identified and prioritized, priority species are controlled or eradicated, and measures are in place to manage pathways to prevent their introduction and establishment. Target 12: By 2020 the extinction of known threatened species has been prevented and their conservation status, particularly of those most in decline, has been improved and sustained. Target 13: By 2020, the genetic diversity of cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and of wild relatives, including other socio-economically as well as culturally valuable species, is maintained, and strategies have been developed and implemented for minimising genetic erosion and safeguarding their genetic diversity. 5. The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilisation to the Convention on Biological Diversityhttp:// Research Report Page 6 of 10

7 Definition of Key Words W Key Words Agricultural biodiversity Biodiversity Genetic erosion Agroecosystem Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Food security Definiton An aspect of general biodiversity, that focusses on issues related to growing of food and all components of biological diversity that constitute the agricultural ecosystems The degree of variation of life.it is a measure of the variety of organisms present in different ecosystems. This can refer to genetic variation, ecosystem variation, or species variation (number of species) ] within an area, biome, or planet. Genetic erosion is a process whereby an already limited gene pool of an endangered species of plant or animal diminishes even more when individuals from the surviving population die off without getting a chance to meet and breed. The organisms and environment of an agricultural area considered as an ecosystem It s an international legally binding treaty, also known as a key document of sustainable development which was issued at the Earth Summit in It aims to develop national strategies for the conservation, protection and sustainable use of biological diversity in general as well as fair and equal sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources Food security is a condition related to the ongoing availability of food. Concerns over food security have existed throughout history. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), food security "exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life". Research Report Page 7 of 10

8 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity Genetically modified organisms Biotope Slash-and-burn the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity International Day of Biological Diversity It s an international agreement on biosafety which seeks to protect the biological diversity from the potential risks posed by genetically modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology. This should be achieved by adopting precautionary principle on which the products from new technologies must be based. If that is not the case developing nations are allowed to ban imports of a genetically modified organisms if there is not enough scientific evidence that the product is safe enough. Organism whose genetic material has been altered and changed by using genetic engineering techniques A definable living place for a specific accumulation of plants and animals An agricultural technique which involves cutting and burning of forests or woodlands in order to create fields This decade on biodiversity was declared by the United Nations General Assembly. Its aim is the reduction of biodiversity loss by adopting and implementing the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, starting 2011 and accomplished in This plan consists of five strategic goals, including several smaller targets: 1. Raise awareness of the causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming this issue across government and society 2. Reduce the direct pressures on biodiversity and promote sustainable use 3. To improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity 4. Enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity and ecosystem services 5. Enhance implementation through participatory planning, knowledge management and capacity building This annual event was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly under recommendation of the Second Committee in order to increase understanding and raise awareness of the conservation of biodiversity and threats to biodiversity. Each year, 22nd May focuses on one particular issue, for instance the 22nd May 2011dealt with forest biodiversity, 2012 marine diversity and 2013 water and biodiversity. Research Report Page 8 of 10

9 Timeline of Key Resolutions 5th June 1992 Establishment of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CDB) Preventing and combating a global loss of biodiversity 29th January 2000 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity 8th February 2001 Resolution 55/201: International Day of Biological Diversity Signed 29th October 2010 Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from Their Utilisation 22nd December 2010 Resolution 65/161: the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity 19th January 2007 Resolution 61/203: International Year of Biodiversity, 2010 Bibliography and Useful Sites United Nation Environment Programme Platform for Agro-Biodiversity research Biodiversity International UN Food and Agriculture Organisation Home Page Homepage of United Nations Decade on Biodiversity y_and_plant_biotechnology.pdf - Report made by the European Union regarding Agricultural Biodiversity - Informal Article (Do not quote) - Regarding a method of farming that benefits agricultural biodiversity. Agenda Regarding multiple issues concerned with Agricultural Biodiversity. - American government agency Website of the United States Department of Agriculture Group that monitors different crop species and news relating to it. United States Department for Agricultural Research European Cooperative Programme for plant genetic resources A organisation that researches agricultural biodiversity across the world. Charity organisation that benefits Agricultural Biodiversity Research Report Page 9 of 10

10 Networking on conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources in Europe and Asia European Learning Network on Functional Biodiversity. European Crop Wild Relative Diversity Assessment and Conservation Forum African Plan to eradicate hunger by manner of increasing agricultural biodiversity The Economics of Land Degradation Article by Harvard on Agricultural Biodiversity Information on Agro-Biodiversity Research Report Page 10 of 10