The campaign targets policymakers, the media and schools. As part of the campaign, an oral history project targeting schools will involve students in Italy, France, the UK, Kenya, Ethiopia, Egypt, Syria, Peru, and the US.

In connection with the campaign, we are looking for stories about the guardians of diversity–individuals who have devoted their lives to protecting and promoting plant and animal diversity, including safeguarding the diversity of individual species. We are particularly interested in stories about farmers and community organizations in Kenya, Peru, Armenia, the UK and around the Mediterranean.

Can you help? If so, please contact Ruth Raymond at Bioversity (r.raymond@cgiar.org) and we will follow up.

‘Crops for the Future’ has evolved from a union of the International Centre for Underutilised Crops (ICUC) and the Global Facilitation Unit for Underutilized Species (GFU). It will be hosted in Malaysia by Bioversity International in a joint venture with the University of Nottingham, Malaysia Campus.

Over half of humanity’s food comes from only three crops — rice, wheat and maize. Thousands of others are also important, but overlooked, as sources of nutrition, food, animal feed, medicines and other resources. Hannah Jaenicke, Interim Global Coordinator of Crops for the Future, said: “In times of changing climates, and economic and social upheavals, it is essential that we promote diversity. These underutilised or orphan crops are vital to support poor peoples’ coping strategies and to encourage sustainability.”

Read the full story and the related scidev article.

Listen to “BBC Science in Action” Interview on “Crops for the Future” on the web or subscribe to the “BBC Science in Action” podcast now (the “Crops for the Future” interview is only available another 4 days) to download your personal copy.

Here the link to the treehugger web site

Thanks Erika for flagging this to us

A group of more than 200 participants gathered in Arusha 3-7 March 2008 to discuss about the contribution underutilized species can make to better food and nutrition patterns, contribute to income generation and to sustainable development.

From this gathering a series of recommendations were developed to explore opportunities, define the way forward and contribute to an action plan around the following four thematic areas:

What can we do on Underutilized Plants:

• 1. To address the opportunity of using underutilized plant species as risk buffers in times of climate change?
  2. To address the opportunity of using underutilized plant species for better nutrition?
  3. To meet the challenge of enhanced and sustained market access for underutilized plant products?
  4. To address the challenges regarding using underutilized species without undermining agrobiodiversity?

Further background on the four thematic areas and more details with regards to the questions we will discuss, will be posted on line when the discussions will commence.

At the end of each week you shall receive weekly summaries of the discussions and a final report that is expected to lead to strong and concrete recommendations we will draw on when advocating amongst research managers, policy and decision makers, for a stronger inclusion of underutilized species in R&D agendas and that we will extensively circulate amongst the members of our mailing lists, made of government representatives, national, regional and international organizations and other stakeholders worldwide.

The link to the DGroup is http://www.dgroups.org/groups/cta/Underutilisedplants2008/index.cfm, you may register from now, post links and documents that will be the basis for our interactions and share your thoughts on how to best lobby in favor of the underutilized species.

We would like this to be an informal space that CTA kindly made available for us to get together and share our passion for these forgotten, neglected, minor, Cinderella, and awesome plant species.

We will appreciate your support in forwarding this invitation to your relevant contacts encouraging them to participate.

Looking forward in meeting you on line for lively and stimulating discussions,

Thank you,
Paul