A science-based approach is critical to safeguard biodiversity

In talks today FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu and Cristiana Pașca Palmer, the Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, agreed that efforts to safeguard the planet’s biodiversity must be rooted in science.

Pașca Palmer described FAO as an excellent partner and noted the agency’s contribution to shaping global policy on biodiversity. She stressed that this should not focus just on conservation but also on sustainable use.

Qu underscored the vital importance of biodiversity for agriculture and food, but he and Pașca Palmer agreed that there was a need to go beyond agriculture and to involve partners from across the sectors including the public, the private, civil society and academia.