Gardens and Agro-Ecologists: Alliances for the Future of Food and Food Security.

Plants are the foundation of every food system. But, land-use change, agriculture, logging, invasive species, disease, pests, and climate change threaten one in five plants with extinction^[1]. When plants go extinct we lose genetic diversity of the species along with the ecological relationships they support. The future of food, food security and human health will require local and global alliances to protect, conserve and enhance sustainable food production and food crop diversity.

Botanical gardens and public gardens are ambassadors for the world of plants. They are also experts in conservation, teaching, research, publication and community outreach. Typically located in urban areas, gardens are estimated to host over 250 million visitors annually^[2]. Agro-ecologists are at the forefront of crop, soil and environmental science. Re-establishing and bolstering networks between agro-ecologists and botanical/public gardens can increase food literacy and citizen knowledge of agriculture, enhance research of food system biodiversity, enable the collection of wild food crops, and introduce much needed awareness of the cultural and social benefits of just and sustainable food systems.

At the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada we have found that a strong network between agro-ecologists and botanical gardens can advance food literacy, citizen participation and sustainable food policy at local and regional levels. Community-based research and education programs from UBC Botanical Garden will be explored and provide examples for how such networks can contribute to global resources for a secure future.

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^[1] https://stateoftheworldsplants.com/

^[2] https://www.bgci.org/files/Worldwide/BGCI_Images/Why%20BGCI%20matters.JPG

See more from this Division: Special Sessions
See more from this Session: Special Session Symposium--Improving Synergistic Activities between the Agro-Ecosystem and Botanic/Public Garden Communities

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