CRP Dryland Systems - Bioversity - 2015 Technical and Financial Report - Final

Abstract

A key contribution of Bioversity to the Dryland System CRP has been to examine systematically the diversity of useful plant and animal species utilized by human populations in dryland systems, the benefits they derive from them and the trade-offs that they face in using them. During previous years Bioversity and partners carried out a set of Agricultural Biodiversity Assessments (ABD-assessment) in several CRP target sites (Mali, Ghana, Malawi and India) as the basis for measuring and monitoring changes in ABD as a result of CRP interventions. In addition this effort should contribute to identify entry points where ABD could be used more effectively to reduce vulnerability or foster intensification depending on the context. Results of surveys with 924 rural households in the four countries (for India only data from Rajasthan were analysed since data from other regions were still being processed) show that during the main growing season between 12 and 39 different crop species were grown. Common patterns of use emerged across all areas.