Issues of in situ conservation of crop genetic resources

In IDL-3258

Farmers’ Subjective Valuation of Subsistence Crops: The Case of Traditional Maize in Mexico

Shadow prices guide farmers’ resource allocations, but for subsistence farmers who grow traditional crops they may bear little relationship with market prices. We theoretically derive shadow prices for a subsistence crop with nonmarket value, then estimate shadow prices of maize using data from a nationally representative survey of rural households in Mexico. Shadow prices are significantly higher than market prices for traditional but not improved maize varieties. They are particularly high in the indigenous areas of southern and southeastern Mexico, indicating large de facto incentives to maintain traditional varieties there. Copyright 2009, Oxford University Press.

O conhecimento sobre os recursos vegetais alimentares em bairros rurais no Vale do Paraíba, SP, Brasil Knowledge regarding vegetable food resources in rural neighborhoods in the Paraíba Valley, São Paulo state, Brazil

O objetivo deste estudo foi realizar um inventário das plantas alimentares cultivadas e coletadas da vegetação nativa e ruderal, em região de Mata Atlântica, conhecidas pela população rural residente dentro da área do Núcleo Santa Virgínia, Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar (bairros Puruba e Guaricanga) e nos arredores (bairro Vargem Grande). Os 23 entrevistados amostrados atenderam aos seguintes critérios: origem na área rural dos municípios onde se localiza o Núcleo; idade superior a 45 anos; intimidade no trato com a terra. Ao todo, foram levantadas 146 espécies botânicas, distribuídas em 43 famílias botânicas, sendo as famílias Solanaceae e Cucurbitaceae as mais representativas e basicamente hortícolas. Os índices de diversidade de Shannon-Wiener e equidade de Pielou foram 1,90 (Base 10) e 0,95, respectivamente, para o grupo residente no Núcleo; e 1,97 e 0,92 para a população que se localiza nos arredores do Núcleo. Os dois grupos de bairros apresentaram uma similaridade de citação de plantas alimentares de 75%. Cerca de 17% das plantas citadas são nativas da Mata Atlântica e há uma significante riqueza de espécies e de variedades cultivadas nos quintais e nas roças que complementam a dieta, cujos itens principais são adquiridos no comércio local. As comunidades rurais estudadas se revelaram como um importante sistema de conservação de germoplasma de plantas cultivadas, pois foram identificadas 96 etnovariedades para 12 espécies botânicas e a maioria delas é mantida nas comunidades.<br>The objective of this study was to conduct an inventory of food plants cultivated and collected from the native and ruderal vegetation in the Atlantic Forest region by the rural population residing in the Santa Virginia Nucleus of the Serra do Mar State Park (Puruba and Guaricanga neighborhoods) and surroundings (Vargem Grande neighborhood). The 23 interviewees were sampled to meet the following criteria: originating from the rural area of the municipalities where the Nucleus is located; more than 45 years old; close familiarity with working the land. A total of 146 botanical species were identified, distributed among 43 botanical families, with the families Solanaceae and Cucurbitaceae being the most represented and basically horticultural. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index and Pielou evenness were 1.90 (base 10) and 0.95, respectively, for the group residing in the Nucleus and 1.97 and 0.92 for the population located in the area surrounding the Nucleus. The two groups of neighborhoods presented similarity regarding the food plants cited (75%), and about 17% of the plants cited are native to the Atlantic Forest. We found significant richness and variety of species cultivated in the yards and fields which serve to complement the diet, which is composed mainly of items purchased at local businesses. The rural communities studied revealed themselves to be an important germplasm conservation system for cultivated plants, with 96 ethnovarieties identified for 12 botanical species, most of which are kept in the communities