Food production needs innovation —ASEAN biodiversity center

It is “high time” to start innovation in food production to address global food security, ASEAN Center for Biodiversity (ACB) Executive Director Theresa Lim said Wednesday.

In view of the annual World Food Day, Lim said biodiversity conservation must be mainstreamed into the agriculture and fisheries food production systems.

“It’s high time to rethink and innovate the way we produce our food. Diverse food production systems can better nourish and improve the health of both rural and urban populations,” she said.

Agrobiodiversity, the synergy between agricultural methods and biodiversity, has become a priority in the global food security agenda in recent years.

“Agriculture and biodiversity have always been inseparable. Through the biodiversity of plants, animals, and micro-organisms, and the services that ecosystems provide, humans’ daily sustenance becomes possible,” Lim noted.

Several countries have pledged to use agrobiodiversity practices under the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Some of the effective agrobiodiversity practices include intercropping, multi-species farming, and aquaculture, according to a 2019 study by Dr. Percy Sajise.

A recent United Nations report showed that over 820 million people worldwide are suffering from hunger due to food security issues.

A 2017 report by the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the World Bank Group found that food insecurity has caused a quarter of children under five to be stunted and 8.4% of them to have low heights for their weight. —Julia Mari Ornedo/VDS, GMA News