Mainstreaming Biodiversity into Agriculture Sector for increasing India's Food, Nutritional and Livelihood Security

Abstract, Researchgate, 2019

Biodiversity and agriculture are strongly interrelated to each other, the conservation of plant and animal genetic resources plays a crucial role in India’s food, nutritional and livelihood security. India is considered to be a centre of origin of rice, brinjal, citrus, banana and cucumber species and it is rich in food crops, oil seed crops, horticultural crops (fruits and vegetables), spices, lichens, algae, fungi, insects and medicinal plants. The increasing replacement of locally adopted and traditionally grown cultivars by high yielding modern varieties has led to the loss of agrobiodiversity resources. Some of the suggested recommendations for mainstreaming biodiversity into the agricultural sector are to promote ecological agriculture; conservation of agrobiodiversity related plant genetic resources (in the form of seed, vegetative propagule, tissue, cell, pollen, DNA molecules, etc.,); conservation of agrobiodiversity hotspots; encourage on-form conservation practices; preparation of agrobiodiversity index; promote native pollinators; conservation of traditional seed varieties and crop wild relatives; conservation of indigenous livestock breeds; documentation of traditional knowledge associated with sustainable agricultural practices & management; increase capacity building and awareness on agrobiodiversity issues.