Biodiversity, nutrition and livelihoods in aquatic rice-based ecosystems

Abstract

The cultivation of rice in irrigated, rain-fed and deepwater systems often offers a suitable environment for fish and other aquatic organisms. Indeed, it comes as no surprise for those who produce rice that a rich source of biological diversity is to be found in rice-based ecosystems. Wild and gathered foods, from the aquatic habitat, provide important diversity, nutrition and food security as food resources from ricefield environments supply essential nutrients that are not adequately found in the diet. Yet this rich and important diversity is often not recognized in national statistics, policies, and legal frameworks. This paper illustrates the critical importance of aquatic biodiversity for poor rice-farming households based on findings from several years of research in Cambodia, Lao PDR, China and Vietnam. An understanding of the value of aquatic biodiversity from rice-based ecosystems for food and nutrition needs to be well integrated into national agricultural systems that embrace the concepts of an ecosystem approach and the important role of agrobiodiversity for people and the environment.