This document discusses mainstreaming biodiversity for food and nutrition (BFN) based on experiences from the GEF Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition project. It outlines three key approaches to mainstreaming BFN at the national and local level: 1) policy and program design, such as integrating BFN into national biodiversity strategies and food security policies, 2) research on food composition and nutrition functional diversity, and 3) implementation through nutrition-sensitive agriculture and value chains as well as awareness activities. Case studies from Brazil and Kenya demonstrate mainstreaming BFN through revising national biodiversity plans and school food procurement programs. Effective mainstreaming requires collaboration across sectors, resources, and champions to integrate the link between biodiversity and nutrition outcomes

1. Contribution of the GEF Biodiversity for Food and
Nutrition to ‘mainstreaming’; country experiences
Danny Hunter, Global Project Coordinator, Bioversity International

2. What is mainstreaming biodiversity?
• Unprecedented biodiversity loss, degradation of
ecosystems
• Since 1994, the CBD has called for the integration of
relevant concerns related to biodiversity
conservation and its sustainable use into sectoral or
cross-sectoral policies and national decision-making
mechanisms. This process is known as biodiversity
mainstreaming
• Experiences and lessons learned largely confined to
production sectors – agriculture, forestry, fisheries,
mining – few examples of mainstreaming BFN

3. PROVIDE EVIDENCE – Demonstrate the nutritional value of local BFN and the role it plays in
promoting healthy diets and strengthening livelihoods
INFLUENCE POLICIES - Use the evidence to influence policies and markets that support the
conservation and sustainable use of BFN for improved human nutrition and wellbeing
RAISE AWARENESS – Develop tools and best practices for scaling up the use BFN in development
programmes, value chains and local community initiatives.
•1/3 of the population is food
insecure
•1.8 million children chronically
undernourished
ALVs, sorghum, millets, nuts and oil
crops, indigenous fruits and livestock
Undernutrition ↓
Overnutrition ↑
50% of adult population
overweight (80 million)
Plants for the Future
Project (70 spp.)
Non conventional leafy
vegetables
Undernutrition ↓
Overnutrition ↑
•31% overweight
•12% obese
28 spp. local
edible plant
species
• Acute protein-energy
malnutrition
• Moderate Iron deficiency
anaemia and VAD
Native root and tuber crops,
traditional rice varieties, leafy
vegetables and native fruits
5 year project : 2012 - 2017
Project aim: Strengthen the conservation
and sustainable use of biodiversity with high
nutritional potential, by mainstreaming into
nutrition, food and livelihood security
strategies and programmes; develop
markets and value chains for nutritionally-
relevant biodiversity.

4. Several possible options exist to undertake the
mainstreaming of biodiversity for improving nutrition at
the national and local level
• Policy and Programme Design
• Research
• Implementation
• Awareness

5. 1. Policy and Programme Design
• Mainstreaming BFN into National Biodiversity
Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAP)
• Mainstreaming BFN directly into relevant policies,
programmes and national plans of action on food
security and nutrition – Fome Zero, School Feeding
Programmes
• Mainstreaming BFN into relevant production
sectoral programmes and plans which have a strong
bearing on nutritional outcomes – agriculture
(Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture), forestry….
• Other policy arenas….

6. Case Study 1: NBSAP Revision Process
• Global First, Brazil’s revised NBSAP 2015
• Limited appreciation of the use of BFN
• For BFN alone, 23 priority actions
identified
• Indicator: “Number of species of Brazilian
native biodiversity included in food and
nutritional security policies”
• US$60 million pledged to protect BFN
“Mainstreaming needs to recognise who
holds power and therefore who needs to
be engaged - Ministries of Finance, or
Finance and Planning are particularly
important in this regard.”

7. Case Study 2: School Feeding & Procurement
• Opportunity: Move to local
procurement, family farming.
Currently diversification of
procurement is low
• PNAE and CECANES: Awareness
raising, capacity building, online BFN
module, working with nutritionists to
develop new recipes/menus
• School gardens, health and nutrition
education
• Mainstreaming? Exploit increasing
move by programmes such as WFP
P4P, Home Grown School Feeding and
other institutional markets
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
PAA PNAE PGPM
Expenditures on
na ve biodiversity
food products
Total expenditure

8. Effective mainstreaming requires
• Awareness and political will from the highest levels, providing
support;
• Strong leadership, dialogue and co-operation at all levels
especially agriculture, environment, nutrition and health
sectors
• Good scientific information and understanding
• Strategic cross-sectoral platforms and public-private
partnerships
• Key role models and champions
• Good scientific information and understanding
• Institutional capacity and commitment
• Effective NGO and civil society involvement
• Resources, finance and time
• …..

9. Thank you
BFN Project website, Case studies
documenting best practices
Diversifying food and diets book.
www.b4fn.org

12. 12
• Important link between biodiversity, especially genetic resources, for food
security and nutrition
• Highlighted important global initiatives within CBD, FAO, CFS, ICN2….post-
2015 Agenda and SDGs
• Highlighted the intolerable persistent situation of malnutrition
• What we haven’t highlighted so much is how we move from the Global to
Country action – a few examples from GEF BFN
The Story so far

13. 2. Research
• Development of databases and
linkages to FAO/INFOODS
• Capacity building and national and
regional courses on development
of food composition databases on
biodiversity
• Nutrition Sensitive Landscapes and
Nutritional Functional Diversity
• Nutrient contents of foods from different varieties, cultivars and
breeds of plants and animals, wild, neglected and underutilized
species including from forest-derived foods and aquatic genetic
resources.

14. Source: Remans and Smukler, 2014
Nutrition functional diversity plotted
against species richness for 170 farms
in three Millenium Village project
sites, Sauri in Kenya, Ruhiira in
Uganda and Mwandama in Malawi

15. 3. Implementation
• Nutrition sensitive agriculture
and extension services
• Nutrition sensitive value-
chains
• Best practices to mobilise
BFN, homegardens,
• Capacity building
• Nutrition education

16. 16
Breastfeeding week - Kenya
Alaçati Herb Festival - Turkey
Busia Food Fair - Kenya
Organic Food Week - Brazil
4. Awareness