Camila Oliveira is an environmental analyst at the Ministry of the Environment in Brazil and national manager of the Bioversity International 4-country project 'Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition'. In her presentation for Italian Development Cooperation's Expo 2015 event she brought attention to Brazil's precious agricultural biodiversity and how it can be used for food and nutrition security. Learn more about Bioversity International's participation at Expo 2015: http://bit.ly/1GOimdm ABSTRACT Brazil suffers from high rates of malnutrition, with one in three children aged between five and nine overweight. Brazil is also home to a significant amount of the world’s biodiversity much of it edible and nutritious. As part of the Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition (BFN) initiative funded by the United Nations, Brazil believes that biodiversity for food and nutrition can help fight its current diet-related problems. As such, the government is adopting three approaches to effectively embed biodiversity into the national food and nutritional security policy framework. The first approach is to increase knowledge of how diverse underutilized native species can contribute to food security by carrying out a nutritional analysis of 70 edible plant species. Three national programmes are exploiting the nutrition potential of some of these species. These include targeting the national school feeding programme to promote healthy eating habits in schools, a scheme which also ensures that 30% of procurement is from local family farmers. The second approach has been the revision of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan to comply with the Aichi Biodiversity Targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity and to halt biodiversity loss. One of the reasons for biodiversity loss in Brazil is the limited appreciation of the use of biodiversity for food and nutrition to date. The third approach is to increase awareness on how biodiversity can contribute to food and nutrition. A weekly farmers’ market has been launched at the Brasilia Botanical Garden and several cultural gastronomic events organized in different cities, with cooking demonstrations and opportunities to taste native and nutritious biodiverse foods.

1. Biodiversity for food and nutrition
Camila Oliveira, Ministry of Environment, Brazil
May 6th 2015, Milan

2. Overview of Biodiversity for Food and
Nutrition Initiative
Cross-cutting initiative of the Convention on Biological Diversity
Brazil, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Turkey
5 year project 2012 – 2017
Objective : strengthen the conservation and sustainable use of
agricultural biodiversity by providing evidence of its benefits for
nutrition and well-being and mainstreaming into national/global
nutrition policies and strategies

3. Brazil overview
Biodiversity hotspot
- Home to significant amount of world’s biodiversity
- Much of it edible and nutritious
High rates of malnutrition
- 1 in 3 children aged between 5 & 9 are overweight1
- ~50% of adults are overweight1, 44% with high cholesterol2
and 42% hypertensive2
- 20% of women in reproductive age with anemia2
1 – POF 2008-2009 (IBGE, Brazil)
2 – Global Nutrition Report 2014 (WHO)

4. Why Brazil thinks agricultural biodiversity
matters
• Basis for essential ecosystem services: water supply, soil
fertility, pollination, regulation of pests and diseases
• Provides the genetic diversity and material needed to drive
innovation and adaptation to climate changes
• Generate income to communities in situation of economic
insecurity
• Key to food diversification, with positive outcomes for health,
nutrition and promotion of food security

5. Example of a nutritious underutilized
species
Goiaba-serrana, Feijoa (Acca sellowiana)
Native from Southern Brazil;
Sweet taste and very aromatic flavour
Traditional food that has fallen off menus in Brazil
Nutritious
• High in fibre and Vitamin C
• Good source of minerals and Vitamin B

6. Embedding biodiversity into national food
and security policy framework
A 3-step action plan:
• Increase knowledge of how underutilized native species can
contribute to food security
• Put strategies and action plans in place to halt biodiversity loss
• Increase awareness on how biodiversity can contribute to food
and nutrition

7. Plants for the future - database
Nutritional composition of 70 species

8. National school feeding programme:
- Procurement of 30% from local farmers
Health in school programme:
- Evaluation of nutritional status
- Healthy eating lessons
- Health assistance for children in school
Exploiting nutrition potential of underused
crop diversity

9. Food and Nutrition National Policy (PNAN)
Nutritional Guidelines for the Brazilian
Population (Nov/2014)
• Very strong appeal to regional
habits and foods
Considerations about sustainable use of
native biodiversity for food and nutrition
Chapter
“Biodiversity for
Food and Nutrition”

10. Food Procurement Program (PAA)
Beneficiaries: family farmers and people in
situation of food insecurity
Programme activities:
• purchasing from family farms and donates to
social assistance entities
• establishes networks to tie different local
associations
• pays 30% more for organic and agro-
ecological food
• prioritizes indigenous communities and
quilombolas
Photo credit: Conab

11. Put strategies and action plans in place to
halt biodiversity loss
Revise National
Biodiversity Strategy
and Action Plan to
comply with Aichi
Biodiversity Targets of
the Convention on
Biological Diversity
A major reason for
biodiversity loss in Brazil
is limited appreciation of
use of biodiversity for
food and nutrition

12. Increase awareness on how biodiversity can
contribute to food and nutrition
Weekly farmers’ market at the
Brasilia Botanical Garden
Cultural gastronomic events
cooking demonstrations and
local tasting of native and
nutritious biodiverse foods

13. In partnership with:

14. Thank you
www.bioversityinternational.org