Global awareness on biodiversity campaign on

MANILA, Philippines - An international group of agricultural scientists is mounting a global awareness campaign promoting 2010 as a United Nations-declared International Year of Biodiversity (IYB) “guaranteeing a wealth of partners and opportunities highlighting the importance and value of agricultural biodi-versity.”

In launching the campaign called Diversity for Life, Bioversity International (BI) highlights the bond that connects agricultural biodiversity with culture and tradition, livelihoods, household food security, sustainable agriculture, adapting to climate change effects, and nutrition and health.

Dr. Agustin Molina, BI senior scientist and regional coordinator for Asia and Pacific, said food security issues are rife for a major effort to promote and increase awareness on the importance of agricultural biodiversity. 

In the Philippines, Bioversity International joins hands with the Pest Management Council of the Philippines (PMCP) in promoting the Diversity for Life campaign, it was learned.

With the theme, “Biodiversity Conservation through Science-based Pest Management”, PCMP is hosting its 41st Annual Scientific Conference in Davao City to be held March 9-12. The conference, will be participated in by researchers, professors, students, extension workers and industry representatives involved in crop protection.

Dr. Emile Frison, director-general of the Rome-based Bioversity International commended PMCP for adopting the theme “as this clearly reflects the relevant interdependence of sustainable pest management and the use and conservation of agrobiodiversity. It comes at a time when agriculturists the world over are faced with the daunting challenge of mitigating serious pest and disease problems that are affecting important agri-cultural crops in the current mono-culture and intensive production systems.“

Dr. Gil Magsino,PCMP presi-dent, said that this year’s confe-rence will highlight topics and issues related to agroecological approaches of pests and disease management. Dr. Molina will talk about the use of genetic diversity in managing pests and diseases, and reminding us how pests and disease epidemics resulted from the decline in the use of agrobio-diversity brought about by modern agricultural production systems.             – Teddy Molina