Policy brief (DYNAVERSITY project)
This policy brief, based on research from the H2020 DYNAVERSITY project (and informed by related H2020 DIVERSIFOOD work and Preparatory Actions on genetic resources), argues that agrobiodiversity must be managed dynamically through networks of local actors rather than treated as a mainly ex situ conservation problem. It explains that agricultural biodiversity is a living cultural and biological heritage vital for food security and resilience, but it is being lost and current EU policies have not adequately supported on-farm use, participatory breeding or networked management. The brief presents evidence that effective agrobiodiversity management combines local agronomic knowledge with social innovations and requires continual on-farm use and testing to adapt to changing environments. It calls for EU-level policy reform including: recognition of dynamic agrobiodiversity management networks; a coordinated platform and clear institutional leadership to ensure policy coherence; dedicated funding and structural support for collective, decentralized initiatives; support for participatory breeding and breeding for diversity; and full implementation and alignment with international instruments such as the ITPGRFA and EU strategies and instruments (CAP, Farm to Fork, EU Biodiversity Strategy, seed marketing acquis, EIP-AGRI). The brief emphasizes that policy measures should enable the commercialisation and scaling of diversity-based solutions while ensuring accountability and the involvement of a wide set of actors.
Key topics: agrobiodiversity, EU seed policy, participatory breeding, community seed networks, Common Agricultural Policy, ITPGRFA, dynamic management
