Contributions of biodiversity to the sustainable intensification of food production

Diversity and conservation of traditional African vegetables: Priorities for action

“…Genetic resources outside protected areas are priority for ex situ conservation, especially local varieties and populations that are vulnerable to extirpation. At the original locations of many herbarium records, people may have abandoned the production and consumption of these species or will do so in the near future because of trends to food production‐ and consumption‐homogenization, and rural‐to‐urban migrations (Dawson, Park, et al., 2019; Pilling et al., 2020). The promotion of the use of these species in local communities, in combination with capacity building on sustainable cultivation and/or harvesting, can improve their in situ and circa situm conservation and complement ex situ conservation of threatened local varieties and populations.…”

“…It is clear therefore that conserving and documenting the diversity and traditional knowledge of these vegetables is important, before these resources are lost. This is especially relevant within biodiversity‐rich food production systems that still exist in Africa but are now threatened by trends to food production homogenization (Dawson, Park, et al., 2019; Khoury et al., 2014).…”

Conceptual Links between Landscape Diversity and Diet Diversity: A Roadmap for Transdisciplinary Research

“…However, such diversity in local landscapes can enhance dietary diversity by providing a variety of nutrient-dense food items in addition to what can be procured in markets. It is precisely in such rural landscapes where forest and biodiversity loss are of concern (Dawson et al 2019 ), along with food security and poverty alleviation, further emphasizing the need to clarify the significance of forests in concert with other land cover types.…”

“…We argue that this has contributed to blind spots in the role of landscape diversity, especially where agriculture is situated within a mosaic of trees and forest. Although ten crops account for two-thirds of global cropland (Dawson et al 2019 ), their perceived advantage relies heavily on measures of yield and less on nutrition (Remans et al 2014 , DeFries et al 2015 ). Such a singular focus on agricultural yields and calories arguably oversimplifies food–forest–conservation debates.…”

Forest Conservation, Rights, and Diets: Untangling the Issues

“…In recent years considerable evidence has emerged that forests and other wild habitats continue to contribute to the dietary diversity and overall nutrition of hundreds of millions of people, particularly those affected by chronic poverty (Ickowitz et al, 2014;HLPE, 2017a). Further evidence also suggests that more complex biodiverse environments are linked with better nutrition outcomes (Sunderland, 2011;Dawson et al, 2019). This is especially important for rural populations with limited market access or who are suffering the effects of poverty and are thus not able to purchase sufficient food to nourish themselves or their families.…”