Benefits of functional agrobiodiversity described in new brochure

 

1 June - A brochure explaining the concept of functional agrobiodiversity (FAB) has been prepared by the European Learning Network on Functional AgroBiodiversity (ELN-FAB) in order to inform the interested public about benefits and possibilities that FAB offers. It focuses on the promotion of the concept and gives examples of FAB-based practices. The brochure is disseminated during the EU Green Week event (1–4 June 2010, Brussels), and will also be used after that for other purposes.

The ELN-FAB project aims to provide a platform and facility for exchange of knowledge and practical experiences between farmers, policymakers and scientists to enable fast and effective implementation of best practices in order to help to optimize agrobiodiversity benefits and promote sustainable agriculture. ELN-FAB focuses on the 27 Member States of the EU, plus Norway and Switzerland.

The ELN-FAB project is currently financially supported by the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (VROM), the Netherlands; Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), Switzerland; Flemish Land Agency (VLM), Belgium; Ministry of Agriculture, Estonia; and the European Environment Agency (EEA). The further support of funders is being sought in order to expand the Network in the long term.

For more information visit: www.eln-fab.eu

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Agrobiodiversity takes the stage at the 2nd DIVERSITAS Open Science Conference (OSC2)

13 - 16 October 2009, Cape Town, South Africa

Author: Louise Jackson, Professor, University of California at Davis, USA

Agrobiodiversity was a noteworthy theme at the second DIVERSITAS Open Science Conference (OSC2), held in Capetown, South Africa, from October 13-16, 2009. The conference title was ‘Biodiversity and society: understanding connections, adapting to change’. Nearly 600 scientists attended the conference, which covered many topics related to biodiversity science, and whose main message was that the world will miss its agreed target to stem biodiversity loss by next year. Despite this ominous message, the sessions on agrobiodiversity demonstrated that researchers and agencies are clearly recognizing the value of agrobiodiversity in the provision of ecosystem services that enhance both livelihoods and environmental quality. In addition to several open sessions, a symposium on ‘Biodiversity and agricultural sustaina”g”ility: from assessment to adaptive management’ was organized by Louise Jackson and Meine van Noordwijk. A plenary talk ‘Unearthing below-ground biodiversity: Management and conservation implications’ by George Brown showed the important role of soil organisms in sustainable agriculture. Finally, as closure to the OSC2, a dynamic round table discussion on the crucial question ‘Is simultaneously meeting the Millennium Development Goals on food production and biodiversity possible?’ provided viewpoints by leaders of several international agencies involved in development (organized and chaired by Lijbert Brussaard). These sessions were organized as a joint effort between the DIVERSITAS agroBIODIVERSITY network, Bioversity International, and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. Highlights of the program can be seen at http://www.diversitas-international.org/?page=diversitas_osc2

 

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2nd European Seminar on the European Learning Network on Functional AgroBiodiversity (ELN-FAB)

24 - 25 September 2009, Frick, Switzerland

The seminar was co-organized by the European Centre for Nature Conservation (ECNC), in cooperation with DIVERSITAS  and hosted by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL).

ECNC in cooperation with the DIVERSITAS agroBIODIVERSITY International Project Office (AB-IPO) took up the coordination of ELN-FAB, and the Netherlands Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment provided funding. The first phase of the project started in January 2009 and will run until the end of 2009. Further support and financial participation is being sought in order to expand the Network in the longer term.

 

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