The Governance of Agrobiodiversity

Agrobiodiversity relates to humans and their environments. It is the result of interactions between humans and nature, and thus is simultaneously social and biological by nature. Without humans, agrobiodiversity would not exist. Seeds, as carriers of major agrobiodiversity components, are not mere m...

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Autores principales: Visser, Bert, Brush, Stephen B., Aistara, Guntra A., Andersen, Regine, Jäger, Matthias, Nemogá, Gabriel, Padmanabhan, Martina, Sherwood, Stephen G.
Formato: Capítulo de libro
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: MIT Press 2019
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/105658
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author Visser, Bert
Brush, Stephen B.
Aistara, Guntra A.
Andersen, Regine
Jäger, Matthias
Nemogá, Gabriel
Padmanabhan, Martina
Sherwood, Stephen G.
author_browse Aistara, Guntra A.
Andersen, Regine
Brush, Stephen B.
Jäger, Matthias
Nemogá, Gabriel
Padmanabhan, Martina
Sherwood, Stephen G.
Visser, Bert
author_facet Visser, Bert
Brush, Stephen B.
Aistara, Guntra A.
Andersen, Regine
Jäger, Matthias
Nemogá, Gabriel
Padmanabhan, Martina
Sherwood, Stephen G.
author_sort Visser, Bert
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Agrobiodiversity relates to humans and their environments. It is the result of interactions between humans and nature, and thus is simultaneously social and biological by nature. Without humans, agrobiodiversity would not exist. Seeds, as carriers of major agrobiodiversity components, are not mere material objects that exist outside of social relations: they are also sociobiological artifacts embedded in these relations. The multifaceted, highly dynamic realities of agrobiodiversity mean that those interested in questions of governance need to understand the limitations and political implications of the complementary and sometimes contradictory instrumental and relational perspectives on seeds; that is, the understanding of seeds as a production input or as the subject of a social network, in which agrobiodiversity brings together production and social linkages. International instruments aim to provide a legal basis for mediating competing interests and methodologies. In addressing governance, the global framing of these instruments refl ects the dynamics of agrobiodiversity in global socioeconomic and environmental changes. From the earliest recognition of the potential value of crop diversity, crop genetic resources were treated as public goods in the public domain. Breeding companies have opposed this treatment. Breeders sought exclusivity and reward for their creative activities in using genetic resources to create novel varieties. Governance of agrobiodiversity—defi ned by a set of relationships that infl uences the access to and conservation, exchange, and commercialization of agrobiodiversity—refl ects underlying value systems. Confl icting approaches (e.g., “stewardship” vs. “ownership” approaches) toward governance based on divergent value systems and rationales can be distinguished. It is important to identify the actors involved, from local to global, to understand the power dynamics that infl uence the interactions among these various actors and their ability to infl uence or control the management of agrobiodiversity. The governance of agrobiodiversity and the power dynamics involved are increasingly crucial in the context of rapidly changing farming and food systems, especially in the context of globalization, migration, and urbanization. This chapter elaborates an emergent research agenda, focusing on aspects of power relations in agrobiodiversity governance, agrobiodiversity and food systems, nutrition, taste and health, and the governance of genetic information.
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spelling CGSpace1056582025-03-13T09:43:58Z The Governance of Agrobiodiversity Visser, Bert Brush, Stephen B. Aistara, Guntra A. Andersen, Regine Jäger, Matthias Nemogá, Gabriel Padmanabhan, Martina Sherwood, Stephen G. agrobiodiversity agrobiodiversidad governance food systems nutrition health policies Agrobiodiversity relates to humans and their environments. It is the result of interactions between humans and nature, and thus is simultaneously social and biological by nature. Without humans, agrobiodiversity would not exist. Seeds, as carriers of major agrobiodiversity components, are not mere material objects that exist outside of social relations: they are also sociobiological artifacts embedded in these relations. The multifaceted, highly dynamic realities of agrobiodiversity mean that those interested in questions of governance need to understand the limitations and political implications of the complementary and sometimes contradictory instrumental and relational perspectives on seeds; that is, the understanding of seeds as a production input or as the subject of a social network, in which agrobiodiversity brings together production and social linkages. International instruments aim to provide a legal basis for mediating competing interests and methodologies. In addressing governance, the global framing of these instruments refl ects the dynamics of agrobiodiversity in global socioeconomic and environmental changes. From the earliest recognition of the potential value of crop diversity, crop genetic resources were treated as public goods in the public domain. Breeding companies have opposed this treatment. Breeders sought exclusivity and reward for their creative activities in using genetic resources to create novel varieties. Governance of agrobiodiversity—defi ned by a set of relationships that infl uences the access to and conservation, exchange, and commercialization of agrobiodiversity—refl ects underlying value systems. Confl icting approaches (e.g., “stewardship” vs. “ownership” approaches) toward governance based on divergent value systems and rationales can be distinguished. It is important to identify the actors involved, from local to global, to understand the power dynamics that infl uence the interactions among these various actors and their ability to infl uence or control the management of agrobiodiversity. The governance of agrobiodiversity and the power dynamics involved are increasingly crucial in the context of rapidly changing farming and food systems, especially in the context of globalization, migration, and urbanization. This chapter elaborates an emergent research agenda, focusing on aspects of power relations in agrobiodiversity governance, agrobiodiversity and food systems, nutrition, taste and health, and the governance of genetic information. 2019-04-30 2019-11-06T14:55:41Z 2019-11-06T14:55:41Z Book Chapter https://hdl.handle.net/10568/105658 en Open Access MIT Press Visser, Bert; Brush, Stephen B.; Aistara, Guntra A.; Andersen, Regine; Jäger, Matthias; Nemogá, Gabriel; Padmanabhan, Martina & Sherwood, Stephen G. (2019). The Governance of Agrobiodiversity. In: Zimmerer, Karl S.; de Haan, Stef (Eds). (2019). Agrobiodiversity: Integrating Knowledge for a Sustainable Future. The MIT Press. 408 p. (Strüngmann Forum Reports Book 24). 383-305 pp.
spellingShingle agrobiodiversity
agrobiodiversidad
governance
food systems
nutrition
health
policies
Visser, Bert
Brush, Stephen B.
Aistara, Guntra A.
Andersen, Regine
Jäger, Matthias
Nemogá, Gabriel
Padmanabhan, Martina
Sherwood, Stephen G.
The Governance of Agrobiodiversity
title The Governance of Agrobiodiversity
title_full The Governance of Agrobiodiversity
title_fullStr The Governance of Agrobiodiversity
title_full_unstemmed The Governance of Agrobiodiversity
title_short The Governance of Agrobiodiversity
title_sort governance of agrobiodiversity
topic agrobiodiversity
agrobiodiversidad
governance
food systems
nutrition
health
policies
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/105658
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