Gender dimension in the conservation and sustainable use of agro-biodiversity in West Asia

West Asia region encompasses plant and animal biodiversity of global importance for sustaining agricultural production and food security. This agro-biodiversity continue to provide the basis of the livelihoods of local communities in the drylands and high elevation areas. Any strategy for the in situ/on-farm conservation of this local agro-biodiversity requires the empowerment of its main custodians and its valorization for poverty reduction and for sustainable livelihoods. A study to assess gender roles in agro-biodiversity conservation and management, investigating the contribution of women was conducted within the West Asia Dryland Agro-biodiversity project implemented in Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria. In 2004, households’ surveys were conducted in two target areas per country with, 147 farms in Syria, 138 in Lebanon, 145 in Jordan and 140 in the Palestinian Authority. Women and men of different ages contribute to agricultural activities and agro-biodiversity conservation. The traditional farming systems prevalent in the target areas are predominantly using landraces for various field crops and fruit trees. Women are involved mainly in weeding, harvesting and food processing and transformation, while men are responsible for land preparation and planting. Their knowledge of the quality attributes of landraces and of the uses of medicinal, herbal and aromatic plants is an important driving force which sustain the use of these species at the farm level and contribute therefore to the on-farm/in situ conservation of the dryland agro-biodiversity. Off-farm income is as important as agricultural activities in sustaining the livelihoods of rural communities in the target areas. More empowerment actions of women, through adding-value and alternative sources of income options are needed to enhance their role in the conservation and sustainable use of this agro-biodiversity of global significance.