Environmental, Economic, Social and Cultural Importance of Agro-biodiversity

Nepal is characterized by six bioclimatic zones and hence is very rich in local species of crops. There are reports that 6973 species of flowering plants, 790 species of food value crops, 145 kinds of horticultural crops, 700 species of medicinal plants, 200 kinds of vegetables, 71 kinds of fruits, 2000 land races of rice, and 174 kinds of mushrooms exist in the country. In a field survey of the concerned regions of Province 5 of Nepal, huge agricultural diversity basically crop species was observed by this author. In Pokhara, some subsistence farming households grow as many as 22 different land races of rice. The crop diversity is the biological basis of food security. It has both direct and indirect values in terms of food and nutrition. But less attention is given to the conservation of local varieties. The farmers' groups and other sectors need to be mobilized actively for the improvement of the rural livelihood through crop biodiversity. Conservation of local landraces and increasing their commercial value through modern technique of production and processing needs to be introduced. Some recommendations are made in this article for the innovative interventions.