Why it is important to protect Indigenous Peoples?

Indigenous Peoples make up 6.2 percent of the global population, but they safeguard much of the world’s remaining biodiversity. This is also due to their agricultural practices and food systems, which are amongst the oldest, most resilient, and most sustainable on earth. Based on circularity, respect, reciprocity and care, Indigenous Peoples’ agri-food and knowledge systems have been able to provide healthy and nutritious food for countless generations and continue to do so today and in the future.

Pablo Innecken, Climate Change and Biodiversity Officer from FAO’s Indigenous Peoples Unit (PSUI) mentions: “The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework recognizes the importance of sustainable food systems transformation. In this regard, Indigenous Peoples’ food and knowledge systems are game changers in conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and genetic resources due to their close, biocentric, and symbiotic connection with nature. The amendment to the International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management, including Indigenous Peoples' rights, is fundamental to this purpose.”

From FAO’s Pest and Pesticides team, work has been directed toward preserving Indigenous agri-food practices and knowledge systems, because these provide sustainable alternatives to conventional pesticide use. Also aiming to address the challenges Indigenous communities face when pesticides are used in neighbouring territories without their consent.
In a recent mission to Guatemala, FAO officers met over 100 farmers and fishermen from more than 10 Indigenous Peoples communities. The communities’ members provided significant insights into the traditional agricultural practices that have sustained their livelihoods for generations, as well as the increasing challenges posed by pesticide use in the region. Read more about this mission here and watch the video Pesticide risks and Indigenous solutions in Guatemala

Actions for a change

Actions started with the direct request by the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) to review and amend the International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management (the CoC). The aim is to align it with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and with the standards of protection derived from the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention no. 169, especially regarding the right to a free, prior and informed consent, right to self-determination and Indigenous Peoples’ collective and customary rights.

The item was discussed at the 29th session of the Committee on Agriculture (COAG29) and the members agreed to review the CoC in their next session. Access the final report here.

Later, in October 2024, a Joint Meeting on Pesticide Management (JMPM) Working Group was established, bringing together seven FAO and WHO panel members to lead the review process. To further support this effort, a FAO/WHO Task Force was created in November 2024, comprising experts in pesticide management, legal affairs, Indigenous Peoples' issues, rural transformation and gender equality. 

A roadmap for reviewing the CoC was developed in consultation with the COAG Secretariat. The first JMPM working group meeting was held on January 16, 2025, focusing on methodology and key technical issues.  Baogen Gu, Team Leader for Pest and Pesticide Management, highlighted: “After being in Guatemala and meeting with different Indigenous communities, we are convinced of the need to update the CoC. This as a great opportunity, and we are working to guarantee that the reviewing process reflects the rights and perspectives of Indigenous Peoples.”

To ensure an inclusive and evidence-based process, the FAO Task Force will collect perspectives from Indigenous Peoples through the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in April 2025. This will contribute to a more holistic understanding of pesticide management challenges for the different Indigenous Peoples communities around the world and also to analyze the best possible solutions.

As these efforts move forward, the FAO commitment to improve pesticide management remains strong and scientific based. For a closer look at the testimonies of the indigenous farmers interviewed watch the video filmed in Guatemala here.