“Underutilised plant species are those with underexploited potential for contributing to food security, health, income generation and environmental services.”

ICUC Position paper No.2: Underutilised plant species: Impacts of promotion on biodiversity

The ICUC paper looks at the possible methods that can be used to promote UPS and suggest a number of conditions that should be met if such interventions are not to have undesired effects on biodiversity and the services it provides:

• Possible consequences of promotion for agricultural and natural biodiversity should be described in advance, in order to assess potential livelihood and conservation risks.
• Specific incentives that support diversification should be included when promotion of a UPS carries significant risks for biodiversity.
• Particular actions that are known to support biodiversity should be used during promotion, e.g. improving germplasm access and supporting ‘intelligent markets’ for products.
• The consequences of promotion activities for biodiversity, and the linked impacts on livelihoods, should be monitored.

‘Intelligent markets’ are ones that improve both incomes and environmental management. Developing such markets “will involve educating producers and microprocessors in how to diversify their activities, encouraging value chain development, and supporting DO [denomination of origin] and related initiatives.”

See also the origninal and complete post at  Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog