World Conservation Congress High-level Dialogue: “Restoring the common ground between agriculture and conservation: Kunming and Beyond”
by Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
06/09/2021
World Conservation Congress
High-level Dialogue:
“Restoring the common ground between agriculture and conservation: Kunming and Beyond”
Concluding Statement
Video Message
Dr QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
Monday, 6 September 2021
Excellences,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
1. Today’s High-level Dialogue has demonstrated the strength of our commitment to building a strong, interlinked and enduring partnership between biodiversity and agri-food systems.
2. We have seen how Biodiversity makes essential contributions to productivity, food security and nutrition, rural livelihoods and resilience.
3. And how the food and agriculture sectors offer key solutions to the biodiversity and climate crises.
4. By scaling-up sustainable practices, we can reduce negative impacts on the environment and conserve biodiversity across shared and productive landscapes and seascapes,
5. Including the 38% of the global land surface used by agriculture.
6. The nexus between biodiversity, healthy diets and the climate crisis is essential!
7. This reciprocal relationship must be reflected in the outcomes of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.
8. The goals of the Post-2020 framework must take into consideration the potential implications for the agri-food systems, while prioritizing the sustainable use of natural resources and the interlinkages and integrity of production landscapes.
9. Sustainable management practices in the agri-food systems are at the core of the Post-2020 framework.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
10. We need to sustainably manage and restore ALL land and seascape areas, whether with intact, blended or people inhabited ecosystems.
11. FAO is actively supporting its Members in the design and implementation of these practices, as part of the wider transformation of agri-food systems.
12. In July this year, FAO and the CBD co-hosted a Global Dialogue on the Role of Food and Agriculture in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework that identified solutions to scale-up biodiversity-friendly practices across the agri-food systems, including through enabling policies and markets.
13. The need to address inequalities in agri-food systems was also highlighted.
14. This includes the need to recognize and protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, women, youth, small-scale producers and family farmers who can make important contributions as the custodians of biodiversity.
15. FAO is committed to support the implementation of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and its monitoring system.
16. FAO is supporting Members to implement the FAO Strategy on Mainstreaming Biodiversity across Agricultural Sectors, and its related Action Plan.
17. At the country-level, this includes more than 800 FAO projects focused on biodiversity for agri-food systems, investing more than 2 billion US Dollars.
18. As the custodian agency for several biodiversity-related SDGs, we are already working closely with our Members to build capacity on data collection, monitoring, and reporting.
Dear Colleagues,
19. Biodiversity and ecosystem restoration provide a critical opportunity to build the common ground between agri-food systems and conservation in tackling global crises.
20. FAO is proud to co-lead the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030, together with UNEP.
21. In line with our mandate, we will focus on the restoration of productive landscapes and seascapes, where there is strong potential to achieve multiple synergies in advancing the 2030 Agenda.
22. FAO is committed to support its Members to transform to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all, leaving no one behind.
23. Thank you.