Opportunities for mainstreaming biodiversity for food and nutrition into institutional food procurement programs in Brazil

Brazil has a well-established political and regulatory framework aimed at promoting food and nutritional security. This framework represents an innovative and ethical social contract aimed at achieving social inclusion, sustainable livelihoods and citizenship. It includes the Food Acquisition Program (PAA) and the National School Meals Program (PNAE), institutional food procurement programs which provide equitable support to family farming by acquiring their products at a fair price and directing them to public schools, public programs and social organisations. PNAE and PAA have been identified by the GEF-funded Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition Project (BFN) as entry-points for potentially improving nutrition and livelihoods with links to native biodiversity. At least 30% of the food purchased with federal funds through PNAE must be bought directly from family farmers. Both initiatives include ethical standards and incentives of up to 30% in the price for organic or agroecological produce, prioritising purchases from quilombolas and indigenous communities, while also supporting family agriculture organisations to rescue, produce, store, and distribute seeds of local or traditional varieties. This creates new opportunities for the use of resources from Brazilian ecosystems, promoting institutional markets for biodiversity products while providing incentives for the management and sustainable use of agricultural biodiversity. However, assessments reveal that the proportion of food products from native biodiversity purchased overall by PNAE and PAA are low, which also reflects the current status of Brazilian agriculture, based mostly on exotic species. In order to better mainstream biodiversity into PNAE and PAA, the BFN Project in Brazil is working to increase awareness on the importance and nutritional value of native biodiversity species. Advocacy workshops, capacity building, as well as strategic alliances and partnerships with policy makers and other stakeholders are an important element of this, as are contributions to policy instruments that impact both programs. BFN also engages with Federal Universities, which are also collaborating centres for the implementation of PNAE, in research partnerships and activities to conduct analysis on the nutritional composition of 70 prioritised native fruit species and work with traditional communities to assess the knowledge and use of biodiversity foods

Brazilian underutilised species to promote dietary diversity, local food procurement, and biodiversity conservation: a food composition gap analysis

Abstract Background Brazil is home to a large portion of the world's biodiversity, but, paradoxically, the country's agriculture and food security are very reliant on exotic or introduced crops or species. Native species are being neglected and forgotten with natural landscapes and traditional foods being replaced by monocultures of commodity crops and pasture for livestock, causing habitat and biodiversity loss. At the same time, Brazil faces dietary simplification and high levels of malnutrition. Much of the neglected native biodiversity is highly nutritious and exploring these food sources could help provide sustainable solutions to diversifying diets, tackling malnutrition problems, and promoting agricultural development through local food procurement, while also promoting biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation and resilience. However, notable knowledge and evidence gaps still need to be addressed to better integrate biodiversity for enhancing food and nutrition security, including scientific data on the nutritional value and composition of native underutilised species. In Brazil, the Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition (BFN) project generated food composition data, developed recipes, and increased appreciation and awareness of the value of underutilised, nutrient-rich biodiversity through strategic research partnerships with universities and research institutes. Methods For this food composition gap analysis of native Brazilian biodiversity, the BFN project established partnerships with universities and research institutes for the generation of food composition data (macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals) and the development of recipes for 70 native underutilised species of fruits and vegetables of economic potential. Food composition data was gathered by doing a literature review, using compilation methods developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the International Network for Food Data Systems. Food composition analysis is being done for data that was missing or incomplete. Data is being made available on a food composition and recipes database developed with the Information System on Brazilian Biodiversity. Findings From May, 2014, to March, 2016, the nine partner universities in Brazil compiled existing food composition data for 59 of the 70 selected indigenous Brazilian fruit and vegetable species for which data were available. Food composition analysis is being done for missing or incomplete data (especially for vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibre) for all 70 species and will be finalised in 2018. Results thus far show that many of the studied species are high in vitamins, such as the high concentrations of vitamin A encountered in the pulp of peach palm (Bactris gasipaes; 317 μg retinol activity equivalent [RAE] per 100 g), tucuma (Astrocaryum aculeatum; 808 μg RAE per 100 g) and buriti (Mauritia flexuosa; 1204 μg RAE per 100 g). High vitamin C concentrations were found in the pulp of camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia; 1620 mg/100 g), guabiroba (Campomanesia xanthocarpa; 428 mg/100 g) and mangaba (Hancornia speciosa; 209 mg/100 g). Protein concentrations were high in seeds of chicha (Sterculia striata; 19 g/100 g), pequi (Caryocar brasiliense; 29 g/100 g) and baru (Dipteryx alata; 29 mg/100 g). Interpretation The data is being used as an advocacy tool for promoting native species in public initiatives including policy incentives for improving their production and market chains. By working through regional partners, capacities were developed in different regions, directly engaging more than 100 students and professors. These groups act as multipliers, building additional human capacity and operating as opinion leaders and policy advisors, including the provision of research and technical backstopping for municipal managers, school managers, nutritionists, and cooks responsible for implementing the National School Feeding Programme, thus the partnership is likely to favour the inclusion of biodiversity in school meals. Funding Global Environment Facility

Biodiversity mainstreaming for healthy & sustainable food systems: A toolkit to support incorporating biodiversity into policies and programmes

The Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition Initiative (BFN Project) uses indigenous food biodiversity as a lens to address malnutrition, farmer livelihood resilience, and sustainability. Since 2012, the initiative has pioneered a cross-sectoral, partner-based approach to document and share information on 195 nutrient-rich, locally-adapted species ranging from African leafy vegetables to Amazonian fruits. Spearheaded by governments and research organizations in Brazil, Kenya, Sri Lanka, and Turkey, BFN developed a three-pronged methodology to ensure the conservation, revival, and promotion of these underutilised species. This toolkit is an open-access guide to mainstreaming biodiversity that draws on case studies across the four partner countries, outlining steps to 1) Provide Evidence; 2) Influence Policy, and 3) Raise Awareness. With an emphasis on both key focus areas and site-specific examples, the toolkit offers readers inspiration to adapt the work of BFN to other regions. Links to key resources collect additional information and contextualise the project methods, for example, in relation to the FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Mainstreaming Biodiversity into Policies, Programmes and National and Regional Plans on Nutrition. Focus points within the toolkit include how to make use of: National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans, school feeding and procurement, green employment, cultural festivals, and business cases for mainstreaming biodiversity

A4HN Outcome Note

The Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition Project—officially the Mainstreaming Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use for Improved Human Nutrition and Well-being project, or BFN project, is a multi-country initiative with an ambitious goal to mainstream biodiversity conservation to improve nutrition in four countries: Kenya, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Brazil. In Brazil, the BFN project is just one of many initiatives within a national strategy to eradicate hunger and extreme poverty, specifically by mainstreaming biodiversity into national food and livelihood efforts. The project is influencing the national policy landscape, both by filling critical data gaps through an online portal which will streamline national data on Brazilian biodiversity and ecosystems, and through strong partnerships