Agrobiodiversity in the hands of women.

Agrobiodiversity in the hands of women.

The loss of biodiversity threatens food security, specially under traditional species that are replaced by genetically modified species. This trend is dangerous for people who depend on natural resources for their survival during several months of the year.

In most cultures, women have been the guardians of biodiversity. They produce, reproduce, consume, and conserve biodiversity in the practice of agriculture. Women participate in the domestication and conservation of species, such as the milpa, this is fundamental, since they are usually the ones in charge of the care and food provision of the family, by having different perceptions and identities in the production system processes.

Women have a role in seed selection, an activity that begins at the harvesting season, where they along with the rest of the family, identify good quality seeds based on their size, grain formation, and their resistance to pests and insects, all this is based on empirical knowledge acquired generation after generation.

This was observed in the Mexican Agrobiodiversity Project (Project financed by the Global Environment Facility - GEF and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - FAO), of which AMBIO was a part. AMBIO promoted the participation of women as key actors for rural development and conservation of agrobiodiversity, generating affirmative actions that would counteract conditions of discrimination.

After three years of the project execution, the need to generate initiatives that improve the livelihoods of rural women and allow them to have access to spaces that promote equal opportunities, participation and access to training.