9th session of the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture: Mountain agrobiodiversity: Contribution to the sustainable development of mountain areas

19/09/2022

Covering around one quarter of the world’s land surface, mountains host about half of the world's biodiversity hotspots and 30 percent of all Key Biodiversity Areas, as well as vital genetic resources for locally adapted crops and livestock. Mountain ecosystems provide important services to billions of people living downstream, such as stabilizing slopes, regulating climate and hydrological cycles, as well as supporting livelihoods. In mountain areas, agriculture and food production are important economic and development drivers.

The genetic diversity of agricultural varieties and wild crop relatives in mountain family based farming systems is essential for ensuring sustainable healthy diets and livelihoods of mountain people. Food systems remain indeed the main driver of development in most mountain regions as food production and processing directly benefit mountain economies, agro-pastoral landscapes and support other livelihood opportunities such as tourism.

The International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development 2022 is a unique opportunity to raise awareness about the role that mountains play for the sustainable development of our planet, as well as for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is a chance to catalyze action and investments to build the resilience of mountain communities and ecosystems in the spirit of the 2030 Agenda with a common goal: leave no one behind.

This event is an opportunity to present concrete examples of the contributions of conservation and sustainable use of mountain biodiversity for food and agriculture to the implementation of the SDGs in mountain areas and how the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture could catalyze actions and investments for mountains in the future.