Rome, Italy
June 10, 2009
Bioversity
International has been invited to join the meeting of the G8
Development Ministers in Rome tomorrow. This is the text of
Bioversity's message to the Ministers.
Making the most of agricultural biodiversity
The Italian Presidency of the G8 warned development ministers
that their meeting, which begins tomorrow, will take place
against a difficult background. The global financial crisis has
deepened the impact of soaring food prices, especially on the
poorest people. And while donor countries are responding with
emergency aid, there is a need, as the Presidency puts it, to
find ways out of the crisis in the long run. In keeping with the
desire for concrete proposals, Bioversity International is
convinced that increased investment in research and development
aimed squarely at the neediest farmers is a sure way to power
development. Furthermore, agricultural biodiversity has a vital
role to play in delivering sustainable, resilient and nutritious
food security.
Study after study has shown that investments in agricultural
research and development offer higher rates of return than any
other form of development assistance, and yet in the past few
years we have seen across the board declines in funding.
A recent report by the International Food Policy Research
Institute in Washington DC (like Bioversity International a
member of the Alliance of Centres supported by the Consultative
Group on International Agricultural Research) estimated that a
doubling of investment in public agricultural research from US$
5 billion to US$ 10 billion by 2013 would massively increase
production and lift 282 million people out of abject poverty.
For 62 developing countries over the period 1960 to 1990 growth
in agricultural productivity directly contributed 54% of growth
in GDP. More efficient agriculture releases additional labour,
which adds another 29%.
Despite this, overall spending on public agricultural research
and development has declined over the past three decades.
Funding by donors to agriculture fell from 17% of total spending
in 1980 to less than 3% in 2006.
Controlling and containing soaring food prices
Events of the past couple of years – notably price spikes for
food and oil and the global economic turmoil – concentrated
attention on development aid. In response to soaring food
prices, participants at FAO’s High-Level Conference on World
Food Security in June 2008 pledged an additional US$12.3 billion
in funds. While emergency responses are crucially important,
Bioversity International stresses that additional research and
development directly aimed at improving smallholder agriculture
in poorer countries is essential to prevent the frequent
re-occurrence of fresh crises. This research needs to go beyond
the emphasis on simplified systems that depend on high-energy
inputs.
Adapting agriculture to climate change
“Unquestionably there is a continuing need to produce more
food,” notes Emile Frison, Director General of Bioversity
International. “However, this must be combined with improving
sustainability, increasing nutritional well-being and ensuring
that agricultural production practices are able to adapt to
climate change.”
Research by Bioversity International and others has shown that
the judicious use of agricultural biodiversity can reduce
problems of pests and diseases, improve nutritional health,
increase soil fertility, deliver other ecosystem services, and
promote resilience and true food security. Furthermore, these
benefits are available to all and not only to those who have the
capital and suitable land to benefit from packages of improved
technology.
One very positive sign is the recent release of President
Obama’s proposed budget for 2010, which increases the US
development aid budget from US$ 1.5 billion in 2009 to US$ 2.73
in 2010, with the bulk of the increase earmarked for sub-Saharan
Africa. Bioversity and other CGIAR centres are hopeful that an
increased amount will be allotted to improving agriculture.
Invest in growth
If the Ministers meeting in Rome really want to help poorer
countries to lift themselves out of poverty and to move along
the road to food security, better health and generally improved
living conditions, they will look seriously at increasing their
support for agricultural research and development, ensuring that
it makes full use of biodiversity to deliver sustainability and
resilience.
Bioversity International, with its Headquarters in Rome,
Italy, has worked for more than 35 years to support the improved
use and conservation of agricultural diversity. Through
international research, in collaboration with partners
throughout the world, Bioversity strives to build the knowledge
base needed to ensure effective use of diversity to increase
sustainable agricultural production, improve livelihoods and
meet the challenge of climate change. |
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