Besta Pulum cannot contain his excitement about the tablet computer he is holding in his hands. “When I was young, I never saw that kind of computer. Now I’m seeing it; I didn’t sleep [from excitement],” says the community chief, who reckons his age at around 60. 

The First Session of the Ad Hoc Expert Team on Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture opened on 2 July 2024. The Expert Team was established by the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in 2023 to review issues related to biodiversity for food and agriculture (BFA) and advise and make recommendations to the Commission on these matters.

The revised – unedited – draft of the Second Report on Forest Genetic Resources is now out for review. The Second Report builds on the first global assessment, published by FAO in 2014, and analyses the progress made in the implementation of the Global Plan of Action for the Conservation, Sustainable Use and Development of Forest Genetic Resources, adopted by the FAO Conference in 2013.

FAO celebrates the International Day of Potato 2024 with a special and an high-level event

Regional consultations on the review of the Second Global Plan of Action for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture were held in Cali, Colombia from 21 to 23 May 2024. FAO National Focal Points for Plant Genetic Resources and National Focal Points to the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture from more than 20 countries from Latin America and the Caribbean gathered at the premises of the Alliance Biodiversity International & the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) to discuss priorities for the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources.

The theme of this year’s International Day for Biodiversity is “Be Part of the Plan” - a rallying call to the public and diverse actors to support the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, endorsed in December 2022, and also known as The Biodiversity Plan. FAO is an integral part of this plan, as agrifood systems are a powerful channel for readily available and scalable solutions to conserving, restoring and sustainably using biodiversity.

Walk through farmlands in the rugged, hilly terrain of parts of Mexico and you’ll see maize plants grown widely spaced apart with pole beans climbing up them and the large leaves of squash covering the soil alongside edible herbs. These are all part of a farming system known as a milpa. It is quite the opposite of monoculture here, with each family growing a variety of nutritious crops.

Biodiversity and agriculture are inseparable. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, or ‘The Biodiversity Plan’, adopted by countries in 2022, fully recognizes this close interdependence. The Biodiversity Plan sets out a pathway to a world living in harmony with nature by 2050, with more than half of its 23 targets relating to agrifood systems. FAO is playing an active role in supporting countries to implement these ambitious targets and its four Goals. In reality, FAO’s projects and initiatives relate to most of the Biodiversity Plan targets, with five topping the list.

The United Nations World Restoration Flagships are the most ambitious, promising or successful examples of large-scale ecosystem restoration, recognized in the context of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. At least ten new flagships will be selected and announced in 2025. Apply before 31 May 2024 to join the #GenerationRestoration! 

Join us for a pivotal side event during SBSTTA 26, focused on delivering restoration outcomes crucial for biodiversity and human wellbeing. This event will shed light on the Resource Guide to Target 2 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) and its implications.