Evaluation of the Agrobiodiversity Index (IDA) in the Yumurí Valley, Matanzas, Cuba

Agrobiodiversity is the guarantee that localities have to achieve food sovereignty. Knowing its presence by locality in correspondence with its utilitarian values, allows determining the degree of approach to food sovereignty, nutritional education and ecological balance. However, to achieve this, it is first necessary to know in the agroecosystems the availability of food species established in the agroecosystems and the associated free species of known or unknown utility. This participatory research was carried out that consisted of the registration and evaluation of the functional diversity managed and associated with the agroecosystems of the Yumurí Valley in Matanzas, Cuba, for five years. The Agrobiodiversity Index (IDA) was applied, which makes it possible to know the functional diversity by food, human and animal group, the diversity for the protection of natural resources and the diversity associated by natural appearance with other known utilitarian values. The results showed the species deficits according to the protection needs of each group and their causes, which is why the acceptance levels were not reached (IDA ≥ 0.7) by all sub-indices (IFER 0,68; IFE 0,60; IAVA 0,50; ICOM 0,66). The study allowed us to recommend the inclusion of essential species that were absent and forgotten and to rescue those that lost their commercial importance, but were desired by the consumers. Species that raise the acceptance levels (IDA ≥ 0.7) are recommended and therefore meet local needs, and a path to follow is presented to achieve local food sovereignty and prospective sustainability, assuming agrobiodiversity as a basis.