Connecting Global Priorities Biodiversity and Human Health

Box 1. Risks to animal genetic resources
A total of 7616 livestock breeds from 180 countries are mentioned in the Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO)s Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. It
has been estimated that 30% of these are at risk of extinction. In contrast to crops plants where
signicant populations of potentially valuable crop relatives exist in the wild, The state of the world’s
animal genetic resources for food and agriculture (FAO 2007) notes that “with the exception of the
wild boar (Sus scrofa), the ancestors and wild relatives of major livestock species are either extinct
or highly endangered as a result of hunting, changes to their habitats, and in the case of the wild red
jungle fowl, intensive cross-breeding with the domestic counterpart. Thus, domestic livestock are the
depositories of the now largely vanished diversity” (FAO 2007:6).
Box 2. Aquatic agroecosystems and human health
Aquatic agroecosystems, such as sh–rice systems of South and South-East Asia, contain a rich
diversity of edible species. For many rural populations living in these areas, rice and sh are the
main dietary staple. Aquatic animals are often the most important source of animal protein and are
essential during times of rice shortages, providing essential nutrients that may otherwise not be
adequate (Halwart 2006). Thus, wild and gathered foods from aquatic habitats provide important
diversity, nutrition and food security. Recent studies on the utilization of aquatic biodiversity from
rice-based ecosystems during one season only in Cambodia, China, Laos and Viet Nam found that
145 species of sh, 11 species of crustaceans, 15 species of molluscs, 13 species of reptiles, 11
species of amphibians, 11 species of insects and 37 species of plants were caught or collected
(Halwart 2013; Halwart 2006; Halwart and Bartley 2005).
Bangladesh contains a great variety of inland water bodies, including beels, ponds, rivers, canals,
ditches and rice paddy elds, which contain more than 267 freshwater sh species (Rahman 1989).
In particular, small indigenous sh species (Parambassis baculis, Parambassis ranga, Rohtee cotio,
Esomus danricus, Corica soborna, Chanda nama, Amblypharyngodon mola, Channa punctatus, Puntius
ssp.) are a rich source of highly bioavailable nutrients, animal protein and some, with a high fat
content, contain benecial polyunsaturated fatty acids. Indigenous sh species, such as darkina
(Esomus danricus), have a high iron, zinc and vitamin A content (Thilsted 2013; see also the chapter
on nutrition).
Integrated aquatic agroecosystems demonstrate the many benecial interactions between the
dierent elements of biodiversity that enhance food production and the ecosystem services that
support it while signicantly increasing agricultural biodiversity and reducing production risks.
Rice plants contribute to improved water quality and ensure temperatures for optimum prawn and
sh production. Plants provide habitat and shelter for sh, reducing the risk of predation. Foraging
on aquatic sediments, including pests and weeds, and the consumption of phytoplankton by sh
enhances nutrient exchange between water and soil, and reduces the need for pesticides and
fertilizers. Small indigenous sh species also tend to be preferred by farming households and
constitute an important source of minerals, micronutrients and vitamins (Bunting and Ahmed 2014).
⁴ See also Climate change and adaptation and prawn-fish-rice agroecosystems, Landscapes Blog for People, Food and Nature
http://blog.ecoagriculture.org/2014/07/14/climate-change-adaptation-and-prawn-fish-rice-agroecosystems/
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