The Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management (CPW) has launched a two-year roadmap aimed at sustainable using and conserving wildlife while ensuring benefits for local people and their livelihoods. The CPW Secretariat is hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and comprises 13 international organizations working to support the sustainable use and conservation of wildlife.

FAO headquarters is the venue of a week-long global gathering of over 600 participants, including national delegates, diplomats, policy-makers, plant genetic experts, researchers, international organizations, NGOs, seed sector representatives, and civil society organizations from around the world. They have come together for the Tenth Session of the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, to deliberate on policy issues regarding the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA), which comprise the building blocks of the world's food basket.

From November 22nd to 24th, FAO, in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Environment Programme will be co-hosting a significant workshop focused on developing a roadmap for supporting ecosystem restoration under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework at FAO headquarters in Rome.

Launched at the 5th International Congress on Planted Forests, co-organized by FAO, the latest issue of the FAO forestry journal Unasylva #254, entitled Towards more resilient and diverse planted forests highlights how well designed and sustainably managed planted forests have a vital role to play in meeting Sustainable Development Goals.

You are invited to attend a webinar on 17 November 2023 13:00-14:30 CET. The webinar aims to present the results of a global survey on the status of the world’s soil biodiversity metrics, methods and related initiatives. In addition, proposed metrics and methods for the Global Soil Biodiversity Observatory (GLOSOB) will be presented to the International Network on Soil Biodiversity (NETSOB) for community input. Please take a minute to register for the webinar HERE; If you are not a member of NETSOB, please join the network HERE.

The Secretariat of the International Treaty released a study, The plants that feed the world – Baseline data and metrics to inform strategies for the conservation and use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, bringing together crucial data on over 350 food and agricultural crops, made possible in collaboration with the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT and the Global Crop Diversity Trust. This is the first time that databases from various global sources have been pooled to create a comprehensive set of metrics to help inform decision-making in managing plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. Read more here.

World Food Day 2023 shines a spotlight on water as the foundation for life and food. Water is vital to all species and to all ecosystem functions and services which are essential to food and agriculture. In turn, a myriad of species and ecological processes influence the quality and quantity of water.  Read more here.

Sept 20, Rome-New York – Kaveh Zahedi, leading FAO’s Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment is attending high-level events at the UN General Assembly and events in partnership with businesses, climate philanthropists and other stakeholders, as part of Climate Week NYC. He bears a clear message for countries and leaders that FAO will carry to COP28 in Dubai and beyond: Agrifood system solutions are critical climate and biodiversity solutions that are often overlooked. “Agriculture and food systems hold a range of solutions, from agroforestry to tackling food loss and waste, and from sustainable livestock management to decarbonizing aquatic food value chains,” said Zahedi. “These solutions are the essential thread that binds together action on biodiversity, climate, resilience and food security.”

FAO took part in the World Biodiversity Summit to highlight the importance of tackling the interconnected challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change and food security through comprehensive and integrated approaches in the framework of sustainable food systems. Scaling up biodiversity-friendly practices in crop and livestock production, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture can help to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, and adapt to and mitigate climate change; thus contributing to food security and nutrition for all. Maximizing these opportunities depends on financial, human and infrastructure capacity. Public-private partnerships can play a key role in enhancing this capacity.

On the 12th September, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) held a knowledge exchange session for parties to the CBD titled “Workshop on ecosystem restoration-related planning and capacity-building needs for the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)”. At the event, attended by 114 participants from 41 countries, a special attention was given to GBF Target 2 and the role of monitoring and their implications on ecosystem restoration actions were thoroughly examined. The discussions shed light on the importance of understanding the present state of ecosystems, setting clear baselines, the scope of restoration, and ensuring synergy with other targets and global commitments like the SDGs.

On day two of the UN SDG Summit and just ahead of the General Debate, the Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, held a Ministerial dialogue at UN Headquarters on the opportunities of scaling up action and investment for agrifood systems transformation as a solution to the biodiversity and climate crises. Speaking at the event, which was co-hosted with Canada, Qu reminded Ministers of the importance of investing in the environment as biodiversity provides the genetic resources that underpin agrifood systems; a wide range of species; and healthy ecosystems to provide water, regulate climate and strengthen resilience against variability and disasters.

Launched at the SDG Summit, the High Impact Initiative on Nature Driving Economic Transformation aims to bring together countries undertaking significant economic shifts, and catalyzing a global movement in evidence-based policies and investments for an inclusive green transition that accelerates progress on the SDGs, recognizes and supports nature contributions and dependencies, and reduces related risks to support a Biodiversity Economy. Overview of SDG Action Weekend; Overview of all High Impact Initiatives; High Impact Initiative: Nature Driving Economic Transformation. Live Webcast on Sunday at 11:45 AM Eastern Time (6:45 PM Eastern Africa Time).

Antananarivo, August 24, 2023 - A decisive step toward biodiversity protection and sustainable agricultural development was taken today at the conclusion of the national workshop on biodiversity mainstreaming across agricultural sectors, held in Antananarivo.  Organized under the FMM project (Flexible Voluntary Contribution), this milestone is the result of a collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MINAE), the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD), and the Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy (MPEB), with technical assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), funded by Sweden. 

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) welcomed the launch of a Global Biodiversity Framework Fund at the 7th GEF Assembly held in Vancouver from 22-26 August.   The new fund will facilitate financing for developing countries — often the most biodiverse — to enhance their ability to conserve, restore and ensure the sustainable use of natural resources as established through the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). 

Approved on Saturday in Bonn, Germany, by representatives of the 143 member States of IPBES, the Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control finds that alongside dramatic changes to biodiversity and ecosystems, the global economic cost of invasive alien species exceeded USD 423 billion annually in 2019, with costs having at least quadrupled every decade since 1970. Read the full IPBES media release here.

Vancouver - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has welcomed the launch of the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund during the Seventh Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Assembly in Vancouver, Canada. The newly established fund will facilitate financing for developing countries — which are often the most biodiverse — to enhance their ability to protect, restore and ensure the sustainable use of natural resources, as established through The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted by 196 Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity at COP15 in December 2022.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS: From climate change to biodiversity loss, food waste to conflict, these colliding disasters must be tackled together, and sustainable agrifood systems are key with the capacity to put the brakes on or even reverse damage already done. We look to this week’s Seventh Assembly of the GEF, the largest gathering of a family of funds dedicated to confronting biodiversity loss, climate change, pollution, and strains on land and ocean health. Looking forward – to the SDG Summit, to UNFCCC COP 28, and to 2030 – we have to continue investing in and scaling up these approaches.

Read the full article by KAVEH ZAHEDI

The FAO Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance (LEAP) Partnership and the FAO Subregional Office for Central Asia joined efforts to organize a series of training sessions for experts in Central Asian countries. The primary objective of this training series is to empower participants with the skills to evaluate the impacts of livestock production systems on biodiversity through the practical application of the FAO LEAP guidelines.

Indigenous Peoples have long held a deep connection with nature and have a profound understanding of their surrounding ecosystems. In their rich tapestry of traditional knowledge, Indigenous Peoples have recognized the crucial role played by bees, especially wild and stingless species. These creatures, often overlooked in mainstream discussions, are integral to the delicate balance of ecosystems and hold immense cultural and ecological significance for Indigenous Peoples. This article explores the unique relationship between Indigenous Peoples and wild, stingless bees, highlighting their importance.

The world is making progress towards ending the loss of mangrove forests, according to a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Found on the coastlines of 123 countries worldwide, over 20 percent of mangroves are estimated to have been lost globally over the past 40 years, mainly due to both human activities and natural retraction. The World’s Mangroves, 2000–2020, launched today on the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, reports that the total global area of mangroves in 2020 stood at 14.8 million hectares.