Improved access to local and national markets can be an incentive to the sustainable use of biological diversity，as it has a direct effect on the family’s income. Photo：Sylvia Reinhardt

What are incentive measures？

The terms “incentive” and “incentive measure” were brought into the debate in connection with the Convention on Biological Diversity（CBD，1992）. Article 11 of the Convention encourages all signatory states to adopt economically and socially sound measures that act as incentives for the conservation and sustainable use of components of biological diversity.

At the Third Meeting of the Conference of the Parties（COP 3）in 1996，a document（COP 3，24）was produced that contained a definition of incentive measures. It states that such measures are specific in-ducements designed and implemented to influence government bodies，business，nongovernmental organisations or local people to conserve biological diversity or to use its components in a sustainable manner. The intention behind this is to change the behaviour of individuals and institutions in such a way that this objective is actually achieved.

Today it is quite normal for spaghetti and macaroni to be made from home-grown durum wheat in some regions of central Ethiopia. Even just a few years ago，the raw material for producing the pasta still had to be imported. The story behind this is first the decline then the successful saving of an important indigenous cereal crop.

Central Ethiopia is the home of many varieties of barley and durum wheat. However，during the last two decades of the previous century they were increasingly displaced by higher-yielding varieties of common wheat. These，though，are nowhere near as well adapted to the soil and climate conditions as their predecessors and，besides，are considerably more susceptible to plant diseases. Food security for local families was under threat. By the time the farmers realised this，it was almost too late. The old varieties had disappeared，and there was virtually no seed stock to be found.