How to better embed crop diversity for resilient sustainable food systems? On April 11th, the DIVERSIFOOD Forum with policy makers and stakeholders addressed this and other fundamental questions to promote cultivated biodiversity. The event was hosted by the European Committee of the Regions in Brussels and involved different stakeholders: from policy makers to researchers, from NGOs to Farmer Organisations and Value chain actors. This talk "Value chain for produce from participatory plant breeding/underutilized crops" was given by Bernadette Öhen, FiBL (DIVERSIFOOD Project Partner)

1. Value chains for produces
coming from participatory
plant breeding/underutilized
crops
Bernadette Oehen, FiBL
Bruxelles Diversifood Forum, April 11, 2018

2. Embedding diversity in food
chains
• Analyze diverse value
chains for “Diversifood”
• Understand the key
elements for a consistent
valorization strategy.
• Survey about consumers
interest in and awareness
about “Diversifood” in
Switzerland, Spain, Italy
and France.

3. Case studies in Diversifood
Valorisation
strategies for
• Cereal products:
• Bred
• Beer
• Pasta
• Vegetables
• Tomatoes
• Carrots

4. Case studies in Diversifood
Quantitative
consumer survey
conducted in
Spain, France,
Italy and
Switzerland

5. Key factors in support of the value
chains
• Seed provenance
– Research projects
– Newly bred lines from PPB
– Farmers and their landraces
• Diversity of supply chains
– Networks rather than
supply chains
– Controlled linear supply
chains
• Shared interests
– Conservation of
agrobiodiversity
– Seeds for sustainable,
resilient farming systems

6. Key factors in support of the value
chains
• Mutual learning processes
– Researchers, farmers,
consumers, processors
• Innovative new products
• The right markets
– Niche markets
– Short, local supply chains
– Supermarkets
• Communicate the added
value to consumers
– Inclusion of consumers
– Logos/Trademarks
– Labels with control/certification

7. 7
Challenges for the value chains
• Difficulties for farmers
– Production risk
– Availability of seeds
• Difficulties for the networks
– Lack of adapted infrastructure
– Non-coherent legal framework
– Missing processing technology
and knowledge
• Strategies to cope with the
increased market demand
• Limited interest from
research
• Limited financing

8. Do you like “Diversifood”?
8
75%
70%
72%
73%
3%
7%
5%
3%
16%
12%
12%
17%
6%
11%
12%
8%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Switzerland [n = 508]
France [n = 500]
Spain [n = 568]
Italy [n = 506]
Yes No Yes and No No answer

9. Would you buy “Diversifood”?
9
18%
17%
17%
12%
9%
9%
12%
11%
42%
34%
26%
33%
30%
39%
45%
44%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Switzerland [n = 500]
France [n = 496]
Spain [n = 566]
Italy [n = 505]
Mixed CH tomatoes Mixed organic CH tomatoes
Mixed CH tomatoes from the region Mixed organic CH tomatoes from the region

10. Are consumers interested?
10
18%
17%
17%
12%
9%
9%
12%
11%
42%
34%
26%
33%
30%
39%
45%
44%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Switzerland [n = 500]
France [n = 496]
Spain [n = 566]
Italy [n = 505]
Mixed CH tomatoes Mixed organic CH tomatoes
Mixed CH tomatoes from the region Mixed organic CH tomatoes from the region

11. The way forward
11
• Increase visibility of European food networks using
agrobiodiversity
– Rather enable replication of the initiatives and networks
than scaling up
– Develop strategies to communicate added values
• Increase public investments
– Participatory research projects at EU, national and regional
level
– Support existing initiatives Growing societal interest for
food diversity
– Regional provenance and organic production
• Adapt legal framework
– Allow evolution, adaptation, heterogenity
– Align policies on seeds and biodiversity

12. 12
Thank you for you attention
This research was done by
• Adanella Rossi, UNIPI
• Simona D’Amico
• Anna Sellars, ORC
• Susanne Padel, ORC
• Claudia Meier, FIBL
In collaboration with
• RSR
• PSR
• RAS
• RSP
• Arche Noah
• ÖMKI
• IPC

13. www.fibl.org
Willingness to Pay more for Diversifood Label (in
general)
avril 13, 2018 13
F310: In general, how much more are you willing to pay at maximum for 1kg of vegetables with the diversifood label (as compared to 1kg
of vegetables without the diversifood label)?; single punch question; shares < 3% percentage numbers are not displayed; filter: likes
Diversifood
Mean
20
13
15
14
6%
21%
17%
14%
16%
26%
29%
28%
29%
28%
29%
31%
37%
21%
17%
21%
11%
6%
5%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Switzerland [n = 462]
France [n = 400]
Spain [n = 475]
Italy [n = 453]
I am not willing to pay more (0) 5% max (5)
10% max (10) 25% max (25)
50% max (50) 75% max (75)
100% max (100) I am willing to pay more than double (150)