This is a presentation by Krystyna Swiderska of the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) of the latest findings from the SIFOR project, prepared in collaboration with the Centre for Chinese Agricultural Policy, Lok Chetna Manch in India, the Kenya Forestry Research Institute and Asociacion ANDES in Peru. It was presented at a side event on 15 November 2016 in the Indigenous Peoples’ & Communities’ Pavilion at COP22 in Marrakech. More information: http://www.iied.org/smallholder-innovation-for-resilience-sifor

1. SIFOR - Smallholder Innovation for Resilience 1
Krystyna Swiderska
15 November 2016Author name
Date
Krystyna
Swiderska
15 November 2016
Krystyna Swiderska, IIED
UNFCCC COP22, 15 November 2016
Biocultural Innovations for Climate
Resilient Food Systems:
SIFOR – Common Findings

2. SIFOR - Smallholder Innovation for Resilience 2
Krystyna Swiderska
15 November 2016
SIFOR - Smallholder Innovation
for Resilience (2012-2017)
• AIM: To strengthen Indigenous Knowledge-based
innovation systems for food security in the face of
climate change.
• Participatory Action Research in 64 indigenous
communities:
 Peru – Potato Park (Quechua): Alejandro
Argumedo (ANDES)
 China – Guangxi & Yunnan (Naxi): Yiching Song
(CCAP)
 India - Central & Eastern Himalayas (Lepcha): Ajay
Rastogi (Lok Chetna Manch)
 Kenya - Coastal (Mijikenda): Chemuku Wekesa
(KEFRI) (inc. semi-arid, dryland)

3. SIFOR - Smallholder Innovation for Resilience 3
Krystyna Swiderska
15 November 2016
SIFOR Baseline Study
(2013-14)
The study involved over 900 HHs in total -
qualitative & quantitative surveys. Explored:
• Trends in livelihoods & migration; food
security; agrobiodiversity; climate; & social
capital. Mainly from 2002-2012.
• Biocultural innovations:
- Technological, market, institutional
- Endogenous (internal); collaborative (joint)

4. SIFOR - Smallholder Innovation for Resilience 4
Krystyna Swiderska
15 November 2016
Focused on “Biocultural Heritage-based Innovations”
because IK is part of biocultural heritage
Indigenous
knowledge
Bio-genetic
diversity
Landscapes
Cultural &
spiritual values
Customary
laws Resilience
innovation

5. SIFOR - Smallholder Innovation for Resilience 5
Krystyna Swiderska
15 November 2016
Why focus on biocultural
innovation?
• To show that indigenous peoples are
also innovators.
• To strengthen agroecological
practices for adaptation & mitigation.
• To strengthen self-reliance in face of
growing variability & uncertainty.
• To conserve agrobiodiversity & IK
• To strengthen indigenous peoples’
rights & leadership.

6. SIFOR - Smallholder Innovation for Resilience 6
Krystyna Swiderska
15 November 2016
Clear evidence of changes in climate & adverse
impacts on food systems (2002-12)
% Households Decreased/
more
erratic
Rainfall
Increased
Drought
Increased
Temperatur
e
Increased
Pests &
Diseases
SW China
Guangxi & YN
(344 HHs)
92% 63% 70% 67%
India – C & E
Himalayas
(c.130 HHs)
71% 89% 80% 79%
Peru – Potato
Park
(61 HHs)
92% 56% 50% 50%
Kenya coast
(375 HHs)
78% 90% 91% 82%
All: more extreme events; more variable weather

7. SIFOR - Smallholder Innovation for Resilience 7
Krystyna Swiderska
15 November 2016
Income diversification & out-migration
(2002-12):
- Shift to non-farm income, but farming still most
important livelihood activity for income & food security
- Increased migration to cities for work (esp. men)
Income Out-migration to cities
China
(CSA)
Steady increase GX & YN
3-4 x increase in CSA HHs (GX)
GX: from 44% to 43%
YN: from 41% to 69%
Peru
(Potato Pk)
Av. HH Income nearly doubled Grew from 14% to 22%
Kenya Av. HH income increased by a
third (but expenditure also inc)
Av 14% in 2012
India Av. HH income inc. by 25% (but
expenditure also inc.)
CH & EH – slight increase

8. SIFOR - Smallholder Innovation for Resilience 8
Krystyna Swiderska
15 November 2016
Loss of crop diversity & spread of hybrids
(2002-2012)
SW China: Rapid decline in maize landraces &
spread of hybrids. Revival of heritage varieties
in CSA villages (since 2007).
Peru PP: Potato diversity doubled due to CIP
agreement & collective management.
India Him: Loss of crop diversity due to
wildlife/birds, change in food habits, dry spells.
Kenya coast (30yrs): Reduction in HHs
growing maize & cassava landraces by 20-50%;
increase in HHs growing hybrids by 20-30%.
All: Women play key role in seed security

9. SIFOR - Smallholder Innovation for Resilience 9
Krystyna Swiderska
15 November 2016
Yield trends (2002-12)
Country / Crop Changes in yield
Potato Park, Peru –
native potato
Slight increase in yields despite severe
increase in pests
SW China – PPB maize 15-30% increase in yields due to PPB
India – potato, maize,
rice landraces
Slight decline in potato yields
Kenya – maize &
cassava
Reduced crop & livestock productivity due
to drought & pests/diseases

10. SIFOR - Smallholder Innovation for Resilience 10
Krystyna Swiderska
15 November 2016
Central Himalayas – District Almora, Uttarankhand State, India

11. SIFOR - Smallholder Innovation for Resilience 11
Krystyna Swiderska
15 November 2016Biocultural heritage-based innovations -
• Identified > 600 biocultural innovations for food
security in the face of climate change – all
agroecology-based; some v. effective.
• Mostly technological innovations – less
institutional & market innovations
• Technological innovations: diversification
(traditional crops/varieties); revitalising traditional
practices (inter-cropping & IPM); new/resilient
crop varieties; new cropping systems; improved
farming tools; bio-pesticides; Soil & Water
conservation.

12. SIFOR - Smallholder Innovation for Resilience 12
Krystyna Swiderska
15 November 2016
Biocultural innovations - Kenya
• Planting hybrids, improved & traditional maize &
cassava together to reduce risk.
• Planting pruned cassava tops: yield increased
4-5 x, maturation time reduced by 6 months.
• Planting coconuts face down to avoid termites.
• Soil fertility: deep ploughing/turning & manure >
High productivity
• Domestication of wild fruit & medicinal trees for
increased income > planting trees on farm.
• Effective IK-based treatments for livestock
disease.
• Cultural Village: To protect Kaya forest through
eco-tourism, revitalise traditional crops & culture.

13. SIFOR - Smallholder Innovation for Resilience 13
Krystyna Swiderska
15 November 2016

14. SIFOR - Smallholder Innovation for Resilience 14
Krystyna Swiderska
15 November 2016
Biocultural innovations in India
Eastern Himalayas:
• Breeding new varieties (EH): high yielding radish - crossed
modern & traditional variety; black rice bean with higher yield &
price; drought tolerant cardamom & new cropping system.
• Far improved yield of onions, cauliflower and gadheri by
changing sowing times, planting depth & weeding.
• Domestication of broomstick grass after landslide – for soil
conservation & cash crop.
• Traditional institution for pooling labour; pooling produce.
Central Him:
• More diversified mixed cropping nr. house provides food
throughout year & fertile soil.
• New composting techniques > higher yields & v. efficient
water use
• Switch to finger millet > inc. resilience to drought, nutrition and
income. Early uprooting of maize to buffer drought.
• Women planting fodder trees on farm
• Crop Protection Committees to reduce crop raiding

15. SIFOR - Smallholder Innovation for Resilience 15
Krystyna Swiderska
15 November 2016

16. SIFOR - Smallholder Innovation for Resilience 16
Krystyna Swiderska
15 November 2016
Conclusions: IK is vital for resilience
& adaptation (complements science)
• Climate forecasting using variety of signs
• Resilient technologies & farming practices.
• Traditional production systems/strategies
designed to manage risk & maximise resilience
over time (rather than short term productivity)
• Holistic worldviews that are deeply connected
to land - prioritise ecological values, sufficiency
& equity/sharing.
• Adaptation with development & mitigation co-
benefits (eg. livelihoods, social capital; organic
inputs, tree planting, soil carbon).

17. SIFOR - Smallholder Innovation for Resilience 17
Krystyna Swiderska
15 November 2016
Diversification versus productivist model
• In risk-prone environments, need to support the resilience
logic that underpins traditional production systems & use
science to fit that model (rather than productivist logic).
• High tech seeds may be very productive in the short term,
but erode genetic diversity & IK for future & can inc. risk.
• Traditional production systems sustain genetic evolution &
co-evolution for adaptation (DNA evidence that maize
landraces more resilient than same lines held ex-situ)
Growing evidence that diversification & agroecology is
an effective ‘climate-smart’ alternative - eg:
• SIFOR: significant increases in income & yield.
• Landraces have higher nutrition (FAO/CWS)
• IPES: Diversified = more productive over time, eg. 30 yrs
• 700 yr. old indigenous W. African soil enrichment – inc
yields 2-3 times
• IK-based innovations have sustained productivity for
centuries (archeological study in NW Kenya).

18. SIFOR - Smallholder Innovation for Resilience 18
Krystyna Swiderska
15 November 2016
Paris Agreement: adaptation should
support ecosystems, IK and rights
• Art 7.5: Adaptation action “should be based on the
best available science and, as appropriate, traditional
knowledge, knowledge of indigenous peoples and
local knowledge systems”.
• Preamble: Respect Human Rights & Rights of
Indigenous Peoples
• IPCC: Recognises importance of Indigenous
Knowledge and Worldviews for effective adaptation
(AR5)
• BUT - NDCs: Very few mention Indigenous
Knowledge/People (except Peru & India &..?)

19. SIFOR - Smallholder Innovation for Resilience 19
Krystyna Swiderska
15 November 2016
Urgent action is needed!
• 50-90% if languages will be lost by 2100
(UNESCO) – indicator of IK.
• “If we lose IK, we will have to invest millions
of dollars to re-invent solutions for
adaptation” (Carlos Loret de Mola, Govt of
Peru, South-South exchange workshop,
Lijiang, May 2016)
• Need to engage Indigenous Peoples as
technical experts in policy discussions on
adaptation, climate smart agriculture & EbA!

20. SIFOR - Smallholder Innovation for Resilience 20
Krystyna Swiderska
15 November 2016
Thank you!
www.bioculturalheritage.org