Gestão da Diversidade de Culturas Práticas Fundamentais para Implementadores de RCC

FAO-COOPI-OCHA-UNHABITAT/SAIO/2014. This technical brief explores the management of crop diversity by small-scale farmers in southern Africa. Its objective is to guide DRR practitioners through some basic principles to plan and implement agriculture and food security interventions that make farmers more resilient to natural hazards by including aspects of management of crop diversity. Special attention is given to activities that help farmers strengthen the sustainable use of this crop diversity. For example, the production and management of seed and planting material is a good example of how farmers manage the genetic diversity of the crops and varieties they use as part of their agricultural production system. In recognition of the fact that a combination of traditional and modern varieties often occurs on the same farm, both the formal and informal seed systems and their potential role in facilitating the management and conservation or crop diversity are addressed in the document. Finally, it also integrates the potential for economic development that can result from the improved management of crop diversity. It can be of particular use to the following users: DRR/M practitioners who support farmers and farmers’ organizations with traditional (often subsistence) farming systems to cope with shortages or lack of adequate seed or planting material, and to enable and facilitate the farmers to continue to rely on crop and varietal diversity for their food security. This brief is part of the series, A Field Guide for Disaster Risk Reduction in Southern Africa: Key Practices for DRR Implementers, coordinated by the FAO Sub regional Office for Disaster Risk Reduction/Management for Southern Africa. This series has been produced with contributions from COOPI, FAO, OCHA and UN-Habitat. It has been produced under the project “Regional Multi Regional DRR Assistance Programme for Southern Africa: Information Management and Health” ECHO/-SF/EDF/2012/01004