Biodiversity, Nutrition and Sustainable Diets

Barbara Burlingame, PhD

FAO

Trends in world hunger

CFSRoma, 14th October 2010

Stunting in developing countries

1990 2000 2010

010

2030

4050

Stun

ting

(%)

40.3

48.6

23.7

39.337.7

18.1

38.2

27.6

13.5

1990 2000 2010

050

100

150

200

Num

ber o

f stu

nted

(mill

ions

)

45

190

13

51

138

10

60

100

7

AFRICA ASIA LATIN AMERICASource: Department of Nutrition, World Health Organization

CFSRoma, 14th October 2010

Overweight in developing countries

1990 2000 2010

02

46

810

Ove

rwei

ght (

%)

4

3.2

6.8

5.7

3.7

6.8

8.5

4.9

6.9

1990 2000 2010

05

1015

20N

umbe

r of o

verw

eigh

t (m

illio

ns)

4

13

4

7

14

4

13

18

4

AFRICA ASIA LATIN AMERICASource: Department of Nutrition, World Health Organization

Mapping Vitamin A deficiency

Biodiversity: three levels

Food Biodiversity

Resource Nutrient

Wheat, cultivated and wild

Triticumfour species106 varieties

Protein, amino acids, B-vitamins, vitamin E, fatty acids

Apricots Prunus armeniaca,more than 140

varieties

ß-carotene, lutein, lycopene, anthocyanins, vitamin C

Grapes Vitis viniferaThousands of varieties

Vitamin C, organic acids, anthocyanins, resveratrol, many phytochemicals

Sweet potato varieties: α - and β-carotene, mg/100g fresh wt

Variety %Moisture β-carotene α-carotene Orange Flesh

Excel 77.8 (0.8) 12.8 (0.1) < 0.1

Kona B # 77.8 (0.6) 6.7 (0.2) 1.5 (0.2)

Regal 77.2 (2.1) 13.1 (0.7) < 0.1

UH 71-5 # 70.3 (1.1) 8.0 (0.1) < 0.1

Yellow/White Flesh

Hoolehua Red # 70.4 (2.7) 0.2 (0.1) < 0.1

Satsuma # 68.3 (0.2) 0.6 (0.1) < 0.1 n=6, values in parentheses are standard errors. # Varieties are recommended by the University of Hawaii Extension

Service for good yield and disease resistance. Source: A. S. Huang, L. Tanudjaja, D. Lum. Journal of Food

Composition and Analysis, Vol. 12, No. 2, Jun 1999, pp. 147-151.

Developing and Using Local Food Posters: Food Composition Data and Health Messagess

Extent of genetic uniformity in rice

Cultivar Differences in Nutrient Content

Challenges

BIODIVERSITY BIODIVERSITY

26th FAO REGIONAL CONFERENCE FOR EUROPE

Innsbruck, Austria, 26-27 June 2008

• Promotion of Traditional Regional Agricultural and Food Products: A Further Step

Towards Sustainable Rural Development

The Conference• Many delegations highlighted the Mediterranean Diet as rich in

biodiversity and nutritionally healthy. The promotion of the Mediterranean Diet could play a beneficial role in the sustainable development of agriculture in the Mediterranean region.

• remarked that the goal of increased global food production, including bio fuel, should be balanced against the need to protect biodiversity, ecosystems, traditional foods and traditional agricultural practices.

•Note that the degradation of ecosystems and the loss of food biodiversity is contributing greatly to the increases in poverty and malnutrition in Africa;• Recognize that returning to local crops and traditional food systems is a prerequisite for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity for food and nutrition;• Acknowledge that local foods are the basis for African sustainable diets.

The Door of No Return

House of the Slaves

Gorée Island

Technical WorkshopBiodiversity and Sustainable Diets

31 May & 1 June 2010

Biodiversity and nutrition• Dietary energy supply

can be satisfied without diversity

• Micronutrient supply cannot be satisfied without diversity