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| Biography |
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Stefano Padulosi, is a senior scientist at the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI). He earned his PhD in Biological Sciences at the University of Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium in 1993. He coordinates IPGRI's work in the area of neglected and underutilized species. His contributions include the development of an institutional strategy to guide the use-enhancement of such species and the implementation of the first UN Global Project aiming at mobilizing their contribution to strengthen food security and incomes of the rural poor. Prior this work, he was a plant explorer at The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA, Nigeria) from where he mounted scientific expeditions across Sub-Saharan Africa to study and sample IITA’ s mandated crops and its wild relatives. He is also the coordinator of IPGRI’ s Project on Agricultural Biodiversity, Human Health and Welfare and is currently based in Aleppo, Syria.
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| Abstract |
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Eliminating Hunger and Poverty: Priorities and Delivery through Agricultural Biodiversity |
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Eliminating Hunger and Poverty: Priorities and Delivery through Agricultural Biodiversity
E. Frison, T. Johns, I. Hoeschle-Zeledon, S. Padulosi (IPGRI) and M.S. Swaminathan and S. Bala Ravi (MSSRF)
In spite of enormous progress made in enhancing productivity of major food crops, more than 800 million people are under-nourished and the majority of them live in areas rich in agricultural biodiversity. Reducing hunger and poverty by half by 2015 is the first of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). A recent assessment of the MDGs indicates inadequate progress in reducing hunger and poverty. An International Consultation held at Chennai, India in 2005 underscored the unique contribution that agricultural biodiversity makes in household security and income generation. Its outcome is particularly significant while rethinking priorities in food & agriculture. Endemic hunger caused by protein-energy malnutrition, hidden hunger caused by deficiencies of micro-nutrients in the diet, and transient hunger caused by drought and other natural disasters can be overcome through an integrated strategy for the conservation and sustainable and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from agricultural biodiversity. Better nutrition plays a strategic role also in combating non-communicable diseases linked with simplification of diets and greater consumption of carbohydrates and fats. The Chennai Platform for Action promotes the principles of giving agricultural biodiversity greater importance in national and international development strategies. It calls for urgent actions for meeting the MDGs. The global struggle against poverty and hunger requires increased international collaboration in conservation and sustainable and equitable use of agricultural biodiversity. Where hunger rules, peace cannot prevail. Hence, the time has come to embrace the idea of a decentralized and community-managed sustainable nutrition security system based on expanded agricultural biodiversity. |
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