Overview of how Agrobiodiversity contributes to nutrition sensitive agriculture and is a key component in food security

1. The Agro-Biodiversity Initiative (TABI)ໂຄງການພັ ດທະນາລະບົ ບນິ ເວດຊີ ວະນາໆພັ ນກະສິ ກາຢູູ່ ເຂດພູ ດອຍ
Agro-Biodiversity as a pathway for
Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture
Pheng Souvanthong
Policy and Extension Adviser

2. • What is ABD?
• An overview of TABI
• Linkages between ABD and NSA
• Case Studies
oNTFPs
oFish conservation zones
oABD Diets – nutrition – cooking.
• Key messages/conclusions
Contents

3. Agrobiodiversity
The variety and variability of animals, plants and micro-organisms that are used directly
or indirectly for food and agriculture, including crops, livestock, forestry and fisheries. It
comprises the diversity of genetic resources (varieties, breeds) and species used for
food, fodder, fibre, fuel and pharmaceuticals.
BIODIVERSITY
Agrobiodiversity
Mixed agro-ecosystem
Crop species/varieties
Livestock and fish species
Plant/animal germplasm
Soil organisms in cultivated areas
Biocontrol agents from crop/livestock
pests
Wild species as landraces or with
breeding
Cultural and local knowledge of diversity

4. Challenge: shrinking biodiversity
(Data source: RBG Kew, 2016; FAO, 1997)

5. identified as one of the centers of origin of domesticated plant and animal species and is a primary center
of origin of cultivated rice (Russel, 2000). With this combination of natural biodiversity and agriculture, Lao
PDR is of outstanding global importance in regard to agro-biodiversity. The country’s rich use of agro-
biodiversity resources is exemplified by the data compiled for plants, animals and fungi presented in Table
1.
Table 1: Estimate of Lao agro-biodiversity resources
Organism
Wild
(used)
Gen-plasm
(gene bank)
Cultivated Raised (animals)
Species
Varieties/
land races
Species Breeds
Plants 2,500* 17,000 135* 180* - -
Rice - 14,500 1* 30* - -
Non rice crops 50* 2,500 100* 150*
NTFP** 500* - 14* - - -
Medicinal plants 1,700 - 20* - - -
Animals 800* - - - 40* 50*
Livestock - ? - - 20* 50*
Insects, etc. 100* - - - 10* -
Fish & Aquatic 200* - - - 10* -
Macro fungi 100* - 5 - - -
Total 3,400* 17,000 140* 180* 40* 50*
*: Estimate by ABP. **: Excluding medicinal plants and macro fungi.
Wealth of Agro-Biodiversity

6. • Variety of Crops
oLaos has the highest diversity of rice
germplasm in the world, behind India!
oOranges, vegetables, etc
oAlso interaction within farmscape: crabs,
fish, etc in fields
• Multi-functional landscapes
oRecognizing landscapes should be diverse
to ensure resilience
• In the fallow and forest
oFallow has higher diversity than forest.
oNTFPs for food, medicine, plant
• In the water
oFish, riverweed, crabs, snails, etc.
What is Agro-Biodiversity in Laos

7. • Crops
 Integrating food and cash crops
 Vegetables and home gardens
 Safe production practices
 Labor saving techniques
• Livestock & Aquatic
 Economic choices in livestock
 Pasture/fodder production
• NTFPs
 Community forest management
 Women entrepreneurship training
• Processing
oTechniques extending use of seasonal
products
Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture potential (Foppes
2017)

8. The Agro-Biodiversity Initiative (TABI)
• 10 year collaboration between MAF
and SDC
• Focus on ABD for conservation,
livelihood improvement and enterprise
development
• Work in 3 + 1 Provinces in North –
more than 250 villages
• Major results:
• More than 25 ABD livelihood
options tested benefitting more
than 34,000 families
• FALUPAM carried out in more than
225 Villages – more than 750,000
ha managed under FALUPAM
• Phase 3: 2017-2020 – focus is on
scaling out, institutionalization and
capitalization

9. • Initiative working with multiple partners and government agencies – cross sector – multi-
disciplinary
TABI is an initiative
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
Ministry of Education
Ministry of Health– Department of Traditional Me

10. ABD Hypothesis
Agro-biodiversity based development with a focus on multi-
functional landscapes offers a more viable alternative to
improve upland livelihoods and food security than large
scale mono-culture cropping systems
Healthy, resilient landscape
Balanced diet, high nutrition based on local
biodiversity

11. The Agro-Biodiversity Initiative (TABI)ໂຄງການພັ ດທະນາລະບົ ບນິ ເວດຊີ ວະນາໆພັ ນກະສິ ກາຢູູ່ ເຂດພູ ດອຍ
Case studies

12. NTFPs Provide larges source of income to upland
families

13. Variance Across Land Use Types

14. Broom Grass – Processing and multi-functionality
• Khem (Thysanolaena Maxima) is natural
grasses occurring in the fallow bush in the
northern landscape.
• Useful for women in terms of local use
and processing.
• Can be used for:
oFood (stems, shoots)
oMedicine
oFooder
• Broom grass sticks
oPrice for raw khem per kilo is 3-6,000
Kip vs Price for stick is 15,000Kip
oIn 2016-2017, women produced more
than 4,106 broom sticks for a total of
around 53,378,000 kip

15. ການຜະລິ ດໜໄມ້ ປິ ດຢູູ່ ແຂວງຊຽງຂວາງ

16. ການປູ ກຫວາຍແຂວງຊຽງຂວາງ

17. Province No of FCZs KG caught KG sold Income
Houaphanh 4 villages 1,206 866 4590USD
Luang Prabang 6 Villages 817 2,357 9900 USD
Food Security: Fish Conservation Zones
Example of potential
Fish Conservation Zones
Established more than 249 in three provinces
More than 100 species of fish identified
Lessons and issues
- Tools to verify contribution to food security
and quality of fish stocks
- New infrastructure hinder fish passage
- Introduction of fingerlings is less effective
than improved stocking/breeding
- Limited knowledge on breeding
- Using indigenous/customary practices more
effective for enforcement than rules and
regulations

18. Aquatic organisms in rice based ecosystems
• Survey in 2 villages in Phoukout Xiengkhouang
found more than 95 species used by villagers
found in rice based ecosystem:
• Plants (390)
• Insects (21)
• Amphibians (7)
• Reptiles (5)
• Mollusks (5)
• Crustacean (4)
• Annelid (1)
• Most (95 percent) of the 95 species used by the
three villages originate from the rice fields,
followed by the earthen canals (71 percent),
• The trap ponds (54 percent) and the streams and
rivers (38 percent).
• Nearly half of the 95 species (and all of the fish
species) could be found in all the aquatic sources.

19. Improving cooking and diets
• Rich Biodiversity used for
• Immediate consumption
(90 percent)
• Smoking
• Fermenting
• Opportunities to link ABD and
NSA to improve cooking and
local recipes
• Bring in famous chefs and
dieticians
• Competitions
• Identify nutritional values of
local products over packaged
and processed production

20. • Agro-Biodiversity is an essential part of Nutrition
Sensitive agriculture
oBuilds upon local knowledge and what is already being used by
Upland farmers
oSupports the development of a resilient and diverse farming
system
• Identify approaches for diversification and intensification
of systems (uplands, household, lowlands).
oA lot can be done that doesn’t necessarily need a lot of inputs
• Need to promote in-depth research to unravel links
between specific diversity and nutrition outcomes
oDevelop tools to monitor ABD contribitions to NSA
oIdentify nutritional values of ABD related products
Key messages

21. Thank you