Mainstreaming biodiversity across agricultural sectors

Solomon Islands hosts some of the richest and most diverse terrestrial and marine ecosystems on the planet. Recognizing the importance of biodiversity for sustainable development and food security, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) and the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM) has organised a national multi-stakeholder consultation on 30 May at the Solomon Islands National University (SINU) in Honiara.

The Assistant FAO Representative, Adi Bennett, opened the meeting by stating how vital is maintaining biodiversity to Solomon Islands economy and livelihood. About 80 percent of the population in Solomon Islands live in rural areas and depend on subsistence farming, agroforestry gardens, fishing and forest harvesting.

Martin Jaiki Acting Director of Agriculture Research delivered the opening remarks on behalf of the Permanent Secretary of MECDM, Dr Melchior Mataki. He acknowledged the ongoing collaboration with FAO and the importance of holding this consultation for well-coordinated solutions and actions for mainstreaming biodiversity across agricultural sectors.

Representatives from Ministries, producers’ organizations, research and civil society have come together to discuss country priorities on biodiversity management across agricultural sectors, including crops, livestock, forestry and fishery sectors. Key areas, among others, included the restoration of traditional agrifood systems and indigenous knowledge, the protection of key ecosystem services like soil fertility and pollination, the establishment of sustainable value chains and better information managing systems. Emphasis was also given to the need for an enabling policy environment.

The national consultation was supported by ACP MEAs 3 programme, joint partnership between the European Union, the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)that aims to build capacity in 79 countries in Africa, Caribbean, and the Pacific (ACP) regions to reverse the loss of biodiversity and accelerate the transition to environmentally sustainable agrifood systems.

The outcome of this consultation will feed into the development of a Pacific Biodiversity Action Plan for Food and Agriculture aimed at promoting collaboration and coordination on biodiversity among FAO, national and regional partners in the Pacific. The Plan will align with the goals and targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework recently adopted at the Convention of Biological Diversity and will be validated in November 2023 at a regional event.