Abstract
Genetic resources for food and agriculture are the biological basis for world food and nutrition security that can improve the livelihoods. India is one of the mega biodiversity centres, endowed with wide floristic, microbial, animal, marine and freshwater/estuarine diversity. About 40 mammalian species have been domesticated for food but the major contribution in livestock production is from 14 species. It has been estimated that some 1500 breeds of the domestic animal species in the world are now at high risk of extinction. About 30% of plant species are endemic to India. Global climatic conditions are changing due to indiscriminate anthropogenic activities, leading to loss of biodiversity, ecosystem and natural environment. The genetic erosion of wild and semi-wild relatives of the domesticated crops and animals is alarming due to threats to ecosystems/breeding habitats. Further, they are vulnerable to changing climatic conditions. This germplasm provides raw materials for breeding improvement in terms of higher yields, which in turn enhances food production and nutritional security. Therefore, all the available genetic resources should be conserved for the present and future generations for sustainable development in the years to come.
Highlights
Rapid industrialization and deforestation have affected the natural environment, leading to depletion of natural resources and large-scale habitat loss
This paper describes various facets of agrobiodiversity, assesses risk of extinctions due to changing climatic conditions, conservation strategies, and the usefulness of vital plant/animal genetic resource for enhancing food production, nutritional security and sustainability
Genetic diversity existing in the germplasm is very useful in improving the productivity of crop plants and animal species, as they are the reservoir of valuable genes
Summary
Rapid industrialization and deforestation have affected the natural environment, leading to depletion of natural resources and large-scale habitat loss. This paper describes various facets of agrobiodiversity, assesses risk of extinctions due to changing climatic conditions, conservation strategies, and the usefulness of vital plant/animal genetic resource for enhancing food production, nutritional security and sustainability. Global consultation on the use and management of agrobiodiversity for sustainable food security organized by Biodiversity International held in New Delhi, India during February 12-14, 2013 recommended the need for studies on ecosystem diversity and the interactions among component communities, so that it may provide insight to mitigate effects of climate change (Anonymous, 2013a). The genetic resources conservation is vital, as the basic germplasm materials are required for adapting crops/animals to (a) expanding biotic and abiotic stress, (b) changing consumer preferences, and (c) to feed the ever-increasing world population, as the rise in the population will be around 8.1 billion by 2025, with most growth in developing countries.
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