Bioversity International scientist Pablo Eyzaguirre present on family farming and the contribution that family farms make to the conservation and use of agricultural biodiveristy. Family farmers are an important asset to food security - they manage a lot of agricultural biodiversity and they have gendered knowledge of the ecosystems where their farms are embedded. Find out more about our work on agricultural ecosystems: www.bioversityinternational.org/research-portfolio/agricultural-ecosystems/

1. Bioversity International/ P. Lepoint
Agricultural Biodiversity: an essential asset for the success and
resilience of family farming
Pablo Eyzaguirre, Stephan Weise, Ann Tutwiler
27 October 2014

2. Agricultural Biodiversity - A key asset for family farmers
Two main assets that family farmers
have are agrobiodiversity and the
gendered knowledge of the ecosystem
in which their farms are embedded.
Banana is a staple food of Ugandan
family farmers as well as a multi-purpose
cash crop. They safeguard the
greatest diversity in banana cultivars.
Bioversity International/P. De Santis

3. Burundi Tanzania
Bioversity International/ P. Lepoint
KU Leuven/ R. Swennen

4. Family Farmers grow commodity cash crops and other food crops
in a system that maintains biodiversity
Bioversity InternationalF. van Oudenhoven
Worldwide, 5 to 6 million family cocoa farms produce
approximately 90% of the world’s cocoa on farms with
only 2 to 5 hectares providing a direct cash livelihood
for 50 million people.
(ICCO, 2011, WCF, Cocoa Facts and Figures 2012)
Bioversity InternationalR. Markham
Family farms producing cocoa maintain
vast amounts of associated biodiversity
in cocoa stands. A study in Cameroon
found that the average cocoa farm
comprises 308 associated non-cocoa
trees/ha. (Sonwa et al., 2009)

5. Ghana
Bioversity International/J. Raneri Bioversity International/J. Raneri

6. Colombia
Bioversity International/X Schelderman
In West Africa, Tropical
America and the
Caribbean, many studies
have confirmed the
significant amount of
biodiversity such as
pollinators, honeybees,
migratory birds, soil biota
that is safeguarded on
these farms supporting
long term productivity as
well healthy ecosystems.

7. Costa Rica
• Bioversity InternationalC. Zanzanaini

8. IYFF places family farmers at the centre of sustainable production
and the safeguarding of biodiversity and famer knowledge
Document family farm systems:
• What FF produce, the range of plant and animal products they produce including
varieties and breeds
• How much FF contribute to the total food and nutrition security in their respective
countries
• How FF stock of gendered knowledge, agrobiodiversity and management practices
drives endogenous innovation and confers resilience in the face of changing
environments and shocks.
• What innovations in family farming can be supported and upscaled.
Actions being undertaken at Bioversity International:
1. Support market institutions and channels that capture unique value of diverse FF
products e.g. varieties, agroecological production, nutritional and cultural value.
2. Support innovations based on family farmers’ knowledge and link them to national
research and extension services, agricultural and environment policies and
Sustainable Development Goals.

9. Thank you
www.bioversityinternational.org