BIODIVERSITY A KEY IN FIGHTING FOOD SECURITY

October 16 is world Biodiversity day and the Gambia will join the rest of the world to celebrate the day.
More than 840 million people of the world remain hungry and more still suffers from Micronutrient deficiencies. Global efforts have so far been insufficient to the World Food Summit and related Millennium Development Goal of reducing the number of hungry people to half by 2015.

Since the birth of agriculture, farmers, fishermen pastoralist and forest dwellers have been managing genetic diversity by selecting plans and animals to meet environmental conditions and food needs.

Rather than a single crop variety that guarantees a high yield, farmers in developing countries are more likely to need an assortment of crop that grow well in harsh climates. For the poorest farmers, the diversity of life may be their best protection against starvation. Consumers also benefit from diversity through a wide choice of plants and animals, and this contributes to a nutritious diet, particularly important for rural communities with limited access to markets.

In the Gambia the collection of different indigenous fruits and grains by early man demonstrated the existence of crop diversity in its own right, thus; despite his mental inferiority, early man was able to observe crop diversity without tampering with the ecological balance. The introduction of crop diversity by present man marked the beginning of the creation of an imbalance in the ecosystem. This is characterized by the felling of trees and other vegetations resulting to either the destruction of habitat for some animal species or plants or their source of food, as well as droughts, the outcome of such actions is usually a change in habitat, food by the affected plants or animals for survival. This may be one reason why some cultivated crops fell victim by becoming sources of food for some insects. And the same apply to pest and diseases.

By using appropriate techniques like non-tillage agriculture, reduced use of pesticides, organic agriculture and crop rotation, farmers maintain the fragile balance with the surrounding ecosystems, with the plants, animals and their environments intact, a range of essential natural processes is preserved. Livestock, insects fungi and micro-organisms decompose organic matter, transferring nutrients to the soil. Bees, butterflies, birds and bats pollinate fruit trees, swamps and marshes filter out pollutants. Forest prevents flooding and reduces erosion. And natural predators keep the growth of any one species in check.

It could be realized that all problems relating to the ecology / biodiversity emanated from a very long time. The story show that all man needs was food, irrespective of the outcome. Had he acted like early man, who despite his inferiority was able to manage his environment consciously, a different story would have been told, today present man with all God-given facilities even though the consequences of his actions. Thus he ended up using weapons of mass destruction to alleviate the situation; a situation which now requires urgent attention. To feed a growing population, agriculture must provide food. It will also be essential to increase its resilience by protecting a wide array of life forms with unique traits, such as plants that survive droughts and livestock that reproduces in harsh conditions. Therefore conserving biodiversity for agriculture will require efforts on many fronts including measures to preserve the environment, better education, increase research and more importantly government and NGO support.