indian society of plant genetic resources - Bioversity International

Indian J. Plant Genet. Resour. 25(1): 1–8 (2012)
The Suwon Agrobiodiversity Framework 1
The Suwon Agrobiodiversity Framework: The Way Forward for Managing
Agrobiodiversity for Sustainable Agriculture in the Asia-Pacifi c Region
Raj Paroda
Executive Secretary, Asia-Pacifi c Association of Agricultural Research Institutions, Bangkok, Thailand
The Asia-Pacifi c region is the largest supplier of the world’s
food and agricultural products. It houses about 58% of
the world’s population but has only 38% of the world’s
agricultural land. Attainment of Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs), particularly alleviating poverty, assuring
food and nutritional security and environmental
sustainability, presents a major challenge to development
in this region. Fortunately, the region is the centre of
diversity of many important species of crops, livestock
and forest tree species. Furthermore, resource poor farmers
in the region are largely dependent on agrobiodiversity of
minor crops, wild food and medicinal plants and animals
for their food security and livelihood.
Agricultural biodiversity has important role in
achieving the food and nutritional security. It is key
resource for crop improvement and imparting greater
resilience, stability and sustainability to farming systems.
It also contributes to better nutrition and health, and is a
source of increased incomes and improved livelihoods.
Despite the obvious importance of agrobiodiversity
for food and agriculture in the region, there is a continuing
loss of this important resource, due to human interventions
and natural events. The large scale adoption of a few
improved varieties of a limited number of crop species has
resulted in displacement of many traditional varieties and
the loss of traditional knowledge associated with them.
Recognizing these concerns, efforts have been ongoing
by various international and regional organizations and
the national governments towards collecting, documenting
and conserving agricultural genetic resources. This has
culminated in the establishment of genebanks in some
international centers and countries.
In view of the need for further strengthening
agricultural biodiversity conservation and use, particularly
at the regional level, an International Symposium on
“Sustainable Agricultural Development and Use of
Agrobiodiversity in the Asia-Pacifi c Region” was jointly
organized by the Asia-Pacifi c Association of Agricultural
Research Institutions (APAARI), Bioversity International
and the Rural Development Administration (RDA) of
Author for Correspondence: E-mail: raj.paroda@yahoo.com
the Republic of Korea at Suwon, Republic of Korea,
on 13-15 October, 2010. The symposium provided an
opportunity to review, identify and redefi ne the role and
direction of agricultural R&D for the conservation and
use of agrobiodiversity for development. It was attended
by 84 participants from 32 countries.
The participants at the international symposium
adopted the Suwon Agrobiodiversity Framework that
shows the way forward for access and benefi t sharing
of genetic resources and evoking required awareness
concerning genetic resource management. The Suwon
Agrobiodiversity Framework embodies the rationale,
challenges and opportunities, integrated approach,
focus of research and development, and the areas of
collaboration.
Rationale
The Asia-Pacifi c region is the center of diversity of
many important species of crops and livestock. Resource
poor farmers in the region are largely dependent on the
agrobiodiversity of minor crops, their wild relatives and
other species of plants and animals for their food security
and livelihood. The rich mosaic of people and cultures
found in the region have contributed to the enormous
diversity of cultivated plants and domesticated animals.
Population migration and trade enabled introduction
of new species and varieties. Additionally, the genetic
diversity in both indigenous and introduced species has
been enhanced through extensive exchange of germplasm
within the region.
Agrobiodiversity is the foundation of sustainable
agricultural development. Plant Genetic Resources for
Food and Agriculture (PGRFA), that constitute a major
part of current agrobiodiversity, are an essential resource
to meet our food security. However, while the threats to
these resources are growing, the efforts to conserve and use
genetic diversity are still insuffi cient. This has been further
confounded by the large scale adoption of few improved
varieties resulting in displacing some of the landraces on
farmers’ fi elds. Also, the traditional knowledge, associated