Skip to content

Tag: agrobiodiversity

Published on

Yesterday I attended a symposium on anemia in Peru and how we could fight it by using the rich biodiversity of this country. There were many impassioned speeches about how people could use their local resources to combat this serious problem.

When I say that it is serious, you don't have to take my word for it:

MIDIS "Plan Multusectorial Contra La Anemia," 2018.

This shows the prevalence of anemia in all of the departments for children between 6-35 months. The most severe case appears to be in Puno (in the south, bordering Lake Titicaca), though many of the other departments are also staggering. It's noteworthy that even the places with lower incidences of anemia aren't under 30%.

However, it is encouraging that the government is taking this seriously and making an effort to include as many ministries as possible; one of the presentations yesterday was given by the Vice-minister of Policy and Social Evaluation of the Ministry of Develpoment and Social Inclusion (MIDIS, the ministry that also runs Qali Warma) - some of the concluding slides included tables that showed how each ministry could contribute to the overall efforts of the government.

I was struck by the passion with which everyone spoke, each with their own approach and range of foods that they proposed could advance the cause. There was a researcher from CIP (International Potato Center) who spoke about biofortified potatoes that contained more iron than usual; a professor from Ayacucho spoke about using traditional plants as a way of fighting anemia and regaining culture; another professor spoke about fortifying biscuits with quinoa, tarwi (Andean lupine), and moringa.

This is a scientist from the Institute of Investigations of the Peruvian Amazon; he spoke primarily about camu camu, but also took a moment at the end of his slideshow to highlight a couple of other rainforest fruits with high nutritional value.

There were also a great many people in the audience from the private sector, as well as people representing their municipalities; I spoke with a few of them during the cookies-and-juice phase of the event. Considering the level of concern, it's likely that the numbers of children with anemia will go down - not if, but when.

I asked a question at the end about how Qali Warma could be made better by adding more diversity to the food handed out, and was told by someone who works for MIDIS that from their perspective, more biodiversity would be great, but that the food included in the program needs to be available year round, in the right quantities, and above all, safe. I've noted this in my readings - food safety is a big issue - but it was interesting to see it emphasized in what he said.

Published on

Peru has several food procurement programs that are meant to keep the baseline of poverty at an acceptable minimum; the one in charge of school meals is called Qali Warma (which translates to 'strong child' from the Quechua language). Qali Warma provides meals to schoolchildren in kindergartens and primary schools throughout Peru, and in the Amazon, all children in public schools receive meals.

This program is based around predetermined menus, which have been formulated by nutritionists; everyone on a national level prepares more or less the same meals. These meals often revolve around a milky drink with cereals in it (such as oatmeal, maca, or quinoa), bread, and crackers/cookies. There aren't many vegetables or fruits incorporated into the program, and much of the food has a very long shelf life; additionally, in some places, the milk is powdered or canned milk, which some students do not enjoy - and you can't blame them, as anyone who has had powdered milk will attest.

Common supplies for the preparation of school breakfasts.

I can find flaws in Qali Warma - but I remind myself that the presence of the program is something that can be built upon, and that not having Qali Warma could have truly negative repercussions. However, the government strives to improve its program as well as it can, by working to ensure that the food arrives at the schools safely (without spoiling), and by doing what it can to promote healthy food. For example, there was a directive in 2015 to drastically increase the amount of quinoa in the program, by 85 percent.

For more information on this program, there is a reader-friendly summary of the program and a case study in this report by Health Poverty Action.

Published on

Nikolai Vavilov (1887-1943) was one of the founding scientists to champion agrobiodiversity; he was a Russian seed collector and scientist, and with his colleagues traveled much of the world looking for the genetic epicenters of different crops. Vavilov determined that there were eight ‘centers of origin’ for agrobiodiversity, which is illustrated in this diagram:

Sourced from:
http://scihi.org/nikolai-vavilov-cultivated-plants/ , Accessed 21 April 2019

Vavilov’s contribution to agriculture is astronomical, and his seed vault is still in operation today, now known as the Pavlovsk Experimental Station. (Much of what is available on the internet about the Station is from 2010, when its existence was threatened by real estate developers, but Wikipedia says that in 2012, the Russian government formally protected it.)

Vavilov, however, was living in an incendiary time in Russia; the Siege of Leningrad saw 28 of his colleagues starve to death rather than eat any of the specimens in the seed vault. Vavilov himself was condemned by the Russian government because Stalin identified with another scientist’s theories; Vavilov was brutally and extensively interrogated, sentenced to prison, and died of starvation behind bars. Vavilov didn’t back down on the strength of his convictions, which is good for the world, considering that his seed vault has gone on to save the lives of millions in the face of crop collapses.

This is all to say that agrobiodiversity is vitally important; it serves as a safeguard in case diseases or pests destroy crops, a manifestation of culture, and a source of varying and nutritious foods. Vavilov and his colleagues may have made the ultimate sacrifice, but it was in the noblest of causes.

The research I will conduct will not be so fraught with peril – but it’s good to start a blog with a bang.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0mYTndj8Yo
The Decemberists, "When the War Came"
This song was written about the scientists in the vault during the Siege of Leningrad.