Study 3: Ecodestruction and the Right to Food: The Cases of Water ...

Starving the Future Study 3
that biotechnology enables us to "move genes around" but not to create new genes. When a gene is
lost it is lost for ever. 41
In India more than 30,000 rice varieties used to be grown; now it is expected that just 10 varieties will
soon cover 75 per cent of the the rice area. In the Philippines before the advent of agribusiness in the
early 1970s 3500 varieties of rice existed, now only 3 to 5 are grown in irrigated areas. In Europe half of
all the breeds of domestic animals (horses, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and poultry) have become extinct
since the early 20 th century, a third of the remaining breeds is in danger of disappearing before 2010. 71
percent of apple production in France is from one variety, 30 per cent of bread wheat from two varieties,
68 percent of potatoes in the UK are planted to 3 varieties, and since 1900 the USA lost in terms of the
percentage in varieties: 85 apples, 88 pears, 94 peas, 95 cabbage, 91 maize, 96 sweet corn, 81
tomoato. 42 As far as Mexican peasants are concerned, the loss in maize varieties is estimated to 80% in
comparison with the 1930´s.
Moreover, according to studies mentioned by Mooney 43, a only 10% of the 300,000 plant species
(except alguae, lichen and mushrooms...) of the Earth had been scientifically examined by the 1980´s
and most of them in a very superficial way. Around 3,000 only have been analysed in depth.
Furthermore, some 95% of all food products are based on not more than 30 crop plants. Three crop
plants , i.e. wheat, maize and rice cover more than three-quarter of the total human cereal
consumption. 44
Genetic diversity is thus vital but it is also highly fragile and threatened. Worldwide the genetic diversity
of crop plants is geographically highly concentrated. Indeed, almost all crop plants have their origins in a
few regions in the world, i.e. the so-called Wawilow-Centres (named after the Russian botanist who
traveled through the world in order to study and list crop plants). These centres are therefore of highest
importance for world food security. They cover less than a quarter of the global arable land surface.
There are five main Wawilow centres where a combination of conditions led to the development of the
crop plants: The Mediterreanean; The Near East ; Afghanistan ; Himalaya / Northern India ; Malaysia /
Java ; China; Mexico / Guatemala ; Peruvian Andes ; Ethiopia.
These regions show that the genetic heritage for essential crop plants is largely vested with Southern
countries. Industrialized nations appear poor in terms of genetic varieties in agriculture. Except for the
Mediteranean, they are excluded from the Wawilow-Centres and therefore highly dependent on other
regions. The importance of these Centres has long been ignored by industrialized genetically poor
countries.
Genetic erosion has already severely affected genetic diversity in the world through heavy handed
interference with the Wawilow-Centres (see below). The loss of a heritage which has been cultivated
and gathered by peasants over centuries leads to the standardization of the genetic resources. Of
course, genetic diversity is subject to evolution. But what is really alarming is the massive and total
disappearance of irreplaceable genetic material. Moreover, it should not be forgotten that a species
does not disappear alone without impairing the survival of several other species. Concrete implications
of genetic erosion are to be taken into account as to food production. Crop plants which are adapted to
the local conditions are not only lost for the direct local cultivation, but also for the further development
of the species. Genetic uniformity of a crop plant species represents a great risk it is much more likely to
be the victim of epidemies. The “potato famine” in Ireland in the 1840´s was caused by uniformity of the
plant which was the main food crop for the people to feed themselves. 2 million people starved.
The standardization of the genetic material and subsequent i.e. genetic erosion is a result of economic
and political influences. By far the most important among the main causes of genetic erosion (in terms
of the number of countries affected) is the replacement of local varieties (80), followed by deforestation
(60) and overexploitation (46). 45 Indeed, rationalization and efforts to draw as much profit as possible
FIAN International 135
June 2002