Agricultural Biodiversity in the Tajik Pamirs

Alessandra Giuliani,Shoista Mubalieva,Frederik van Oudenhoven

doi:10.1659/mrd-journal-d-10-00109.1

Abstract

Abstract This study investigates the role that local fruit varieties can play in achieving the dual objectives of food sovereignty and income generation in the Tajik Pamir Mountains. In this very harsh environment, agriculture is characterized by a great diversity of fruit varieties central to local food culture and household security. Local fruit trees can grow in poor soils on slopes and their resistance to diseases, cold, and ultraviolet light give them marked advantages over introduced varieties. However, the humanitarian crisis following the collapse of the Soviet Union and recent efforts by development organizations to create markets by introducing exotic varieties are negatively affecting agricultural biodiversity (agrobiodiversity) and, potentially, household security. A study was carried out in 3 districts of the Gorno-Badakhshan province to investigate the household consumption and market potential of products derived from local varieties of apple, apricot, and mulberry and how these products co...

Highlights

In the harsh environment of the Pamir Mountains of Afghanistan and Tajikistan, food scarcity has been an element of everyday life ever since agriculturalists settled in the area thousands of years ago (Nabhan 2008)
The value of agricultural biodiversity is recognized both at the level of individual households, where it contributes to food security, health, and income and helps reduce vulnerability (Koziell and McNeill 2003; Roe and Elliot 2004), and as a public good, in helping societies cope with change and unforeseen events (Smale and Bellon 1999)
Vanj is the center of apple cultivation in the Pamirs and has the highest diversity of that crop; Rushan is known for its mulberries and apricots; and Shugnan is important for its proximity to Khorog, the capital of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) and its main market

Summary

Introduction

In the harsh environment of the Pamir Mountains of Afghanistan and Tajikistan, food scarcity has been an element of everyday life ever since agriculturalists settled in the area thousands of years ago (Nabhan 2008). This scarcity has been aggravated in the past by wars, revolutions, and natural disasters; it may intensify as climatic changes destabilize harvests and as global cultural and economic forces begin to change food preferences and displace local crop varieties (Karamkhudoeva et al 2009).

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Discussion

Conclusion