Second regional dialogue on biodiversity mainstreaming across agricultural sectors in Europe and Central Asia
Virtual Event, 21/06/2023 - 22/06/2023
The interlinked climate change and biodiversity-related crises top the charts of short-term and long-term risks the world will face over the next decade. The restoration, conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity are critical to addressing global environmental challenges, building our resilience to multiple shocks and stresses and enhancing the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals.
Against this backdrop, and building on the First Regional Dialogue held in 2021, the FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia is organizing a Second Regional Dialogue on Biodiversity Mainstreaming across Agricultural Sectors in Europe and Central Asia on 21–22 June 2023.
It was requested by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) this past year (COP15) that countries revise and update their national biodiversity strategies and action plans in alignment with the Global Biodiversity Framework goals and targets by the next meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP16).
The aim of this event is to strengthen countries’ commitments to biodiversity for food and agriculture action through updated national biodiversity strategies and action plans as priority instruments to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and build the resilience of agrifood systems.
Expected Results
Awareness is strengthened on Global Biodiversity Framework targets and national commitments with the resilience benefits of biodiversity for agrifood systems.
Knowledge and best practices are shared on tools for raising the profile and integration of biodiversity for food and agriculture in updated national biodiversity strategies and action plans.
The Regional Action Plan on Mainstreaming Biodiversity across Agricultural Sectors in the Europe and Central Asiaregion for 2022–2023 is reviewed and priorities for future actions (2024–2025) are defined.
Language
The event will be held in English and Russian. Simultaneous interpretation will be available.
Draft Agenda
- DAY 1 -
10:00-10:10
Opening remarks
Raimund Jehle, Regional Programme Leader, FAO REU
Introduction
Tania Santivanez, Coordination Manager, Regional Initiative "Natural resources, biodiversity and climate change, FAO REU
10:10-10:35
Session 1. Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and national actions
National biodiversity strategies and action plans: post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework's commitments
Frederic Castell, Senior Natural Resource Officer, Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment, FAO
Status of national biodiversity strategies and action plans in the ECA region
Anna Kashieva, Biodiversity Specialist, FAO REU
10:35 - 11:10
Session 2. benefits of biodiversity for food and agriculture (BFS) mainstreaming - science-policy interface
Fabrice DeClerk, Science Director, EAT Foundation
Benefits for building livelihood security ( including in relation to seeds)
Marleni Ramirez and Adam Drucker, Alliance Bioversity-CIAT, Associate Scientist, CGIAR
Benefits of co-mainstreaming with climate change actions
Sarah Jones, Scientist, Alliance Bioversity-CIAT
11:10 - 11:30 Panel Discussion
11:30 - 12:00
Session 3. Finance for BFA mainstreaming
Global Biodiversity Framework Fund
Valeria Gonzalez Riggio, GEF Coordination Unit, FAO
Global Environment Facility: GEF8 regional perspective
Kaan Basaran, REU-GEF Support Specialist
Green Climate Fund: combining climate and biodiversity financing
Rachel Silbert, Climate Finance Specialist (Green Climate Fund), FAO (TBC)
- DAY 2 -
10:00-10:05
Welcoming and setting the scene
Tania Santivanez, Coordination manager, Regional Initiative “Natural resources, biodiversity and climate change”, FAO REU
10:05-10:20
Session 4. BFA mainstreaming in national biodiversity strategies and action plans Recommendations for raising BFA profile in the updated/revised NBSAP
Biodiversity for food and agriculture in the NBSAPs: recommendations
Julie Bélanger, Technical Officer Biodiversity and Environment, FAO
10:20-10:50
Panel discussion: intersectoral collaboration and stakeholders’ involvement in the updating and revision of NBSAPs
Elene Shatberashvili, Project Team Leader, Biological Farming Association Elkana, Georgia
Turkan Ozdemir, Expert Biologist, General Directorate of Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Türkiye
Ana Coutinho, Executive Director, NGO "Grădina Moldovei”, Moldova
Moderator: Anna Kanshieva, Biodiversity Specialist, FAO REU
10:50-11:00
Session 5. Consultations on the Regional Action plan for BFA mainstreaming
Anna Kanshieva, Biodiversity Specialist, FAO REU
11:15-11:55
Priorities for the Regional Action Plan 2024-25: sketching the roadmap
All participants
11:55-12:00
Closing remarks
Jillian Campbell, Head of Monitoring, Review and Reporting, Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
Background information
Biodiversity and resilience. Interlinked climate change and biodiversity-related crises are among the greatest short-term and long-term risks in the world today. Given that at least half of the world’s economic output depends on nature, this means our food and livelihood security are fundamentally compromised. For both crises, agrifood systems are both part of the problem (being responsible for more than 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, 70 percent of freshwater use and 80 percent of land conversion) and part of the solution. In the face of increasing pollution and land degradation, rising demand for water and food production, and growing urbanization and industrial development, the restoration, conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity are critical to addressing global environmental challenges, building our resilience to multiple shocks and enhancing the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
New Global Biodiversity Framework. Affirming that the conservation of biological diversity is a common concern of humankind, the United Nations proclaimed 22 May the International Day for Biological Diversity. This year’s theme, “From Agreement to Action: Build Back Biodiversity,” aims at promoting action in support of the new Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which sets 23 targets to be delivered by 2030. Accomplishing these targets will require active involvement and action from the food and agricultural sectors, the mainstreaming of biodiversity across countries’ sectoral policies, and the enhancement of synergies at national levels among all relevant conventions and the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030, and with the interest of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, women, youth and other marginalized groups.
National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans. In decision 15/6, COP15 requested that countries revise and update their national biodiversity strategies and action plans in alignment with the Global Biodiversity Framework goals and targets before the COP16 meeting takes place. As the new framework recognizes the underpinning role of agricultural sectors in its successful implementation, the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity for food and agriculture need to be more strongly integrated into National biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs) and mainstreamed within relevant sectoral and intersectoral plans and policy instruments across broader sectors. Endorsed during COP15, the Plan of Action (2020–2030) for the International Initiative for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Soil Biodiversity acknowledges the key role of soil biodiversity in sustainable agroecosystems to ensure food and nutrition security, with climate change mitigation and adaptation co-benefits, and encourages countries to develop public policies and integrate soil biodiversity considerations within and across productive sectors.
Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Biodiversity mainstreaming in the region is strongly linked with the promotion and strengthening of sustainable agrifood practices, in which nature-based solutions and the FAO Programme for Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) have a key role to play. They are live laboratories of more sustainable agricultural practices and working examples of more resilient socioecological systems, bringing multiple benefits for biodiversity, climate change adaptation, and food and livelihood security. With this in hand, the FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia is equipped to incentivize regional transitions to sustainable agriculture and assist countries in raising their ambitions and strengthening their commitments to biodiversity for food and agriculture in their updated National biodiversity strategies and action plans to accelerate the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework.