Agrobiodiversity in Shifting Cultivation Systems and on Tropical Market Stalls
Camille Guillemaut and Laurence Pascal*
ABSTRACT
In the current global context of agricultural intensification, a decline in the nutrient content of cultivated vegetables has been observed, contributing to widespread micronutrient deficiencies worldwide. This erosion of food nutritional quality results from multiple factors, including dietary simplification, the selection of high-yield but less nutritious crop varieties, soil-depleting agricultural practices, and the progressive abandonment of traditional cropping systems that historically ensured diversified and healthy diets. In response, agroecology emphasizes the role of agrobiodiversity in fields and food systems as a foundation for food security and human health.
This study investigates agrobiodiversity as expressed in the markets of French Guiana. We assessed the diversity of agricultural products sold, their geographical origins, and their links to the agricultural practices of different selling communities (Hmong, Bushi Konde Sama, Amerindians, Creoles, Haitians, among others) through surveys of stalls in eight markets. A high level of agrobiodiversity was recorded, with 156 products identified, though unevenly distributed among markets and communities. Rare products, often specific to particular cultural groups, played a key role in this diversity. The composition of market stalls reflected distinct livelihood strategies, notably self consumption-oriented systems among Amerindian communities. Comparison with data from 2009 reveals temporal changes in both species composition and the representation of selling communities. Overall, markets emerge as valuable indicators of agricultural, social, and cultural dynamics, highlighting the importance of conserving agrobiodiversity for sustainable and healthy food systems.
