Cali, Colombia – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concluded its impactful participation in the 2024 UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP16) in Cali, Colombia, where its central message—agrifood systems play a critical role in achieving biodiversity goals—reverberated throughout the two-week event.
The conference, themed “Peace with Nature”, marked a pivotal moment in the global endeavor to safeguard biodiversity and address the interconnected challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change, and sustainable development.
The FAO delegation, led by Director of Cabinet Godfrey Magwenzi, actively engaged in numerous events and discussions, emphasizing the importance of agrifood systems solutions in delivering on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). FAO’s consistent message throughout the conference was clear: transforming agrifood systems is not just an option but a necessity for achieving a sustainable and biodiverse planet.
According to its hosts, COP16 saw record breaking attendance with almost 8 000 people a day in the Blue Zone, reserved for official negotiators and delegations, while as of 28 October more than 527 000 people had visited the Green Zone, a space to encourage the participation of civil society, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and all those interested in the protection and conservation of biological diversity.
Key messages amplified
FAO’s presence at COP16 underscored its commitment to building resilient agrifood systems that contribute to the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of biodiversity, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and improved food security and nutrition. To effectively address these challenges, solutions need to be prioritized across multilateral environmental agreements, receive increased financial and technical support, and be fully integrated into national planning processes. This requires scaling up agrifood systems solutions through enabling policies, innovation, and technologies that reach smallholder farmers and producers, ensuring an equitable, inclusive, and gender-responsive transformation.
COP16 itself served as a critical platform for governments to take stock of national target-setting for biodiversity and kickstart the implementation of the KMGBF.
FAO highlighted its technical assistance to countries in developing and implementing National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) to effectively integrate biodiversity considerations into agrifood policies and practices.
FAO’s COP16 event highlights
High-level ministerial luncheon: A call to action
FAO co-organized a high-level ministerial event with the Colombian Presidency and the CBD Secretariat, represented by Her Excellency Martha Carvajalino, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Colombia and Ms. Astrid Schomaker, CBD Executive Secretary. At the event, Director of Cabinet Godfrey Magwenzi launched the Agri-NBSAPs Support Initiative, which aims to accelerate the integration of biodiversity into agrifood sectors through targeted assistance to countries in aligning their NBSAPs with the KMGBF targets.
More than 60 countries, represented by more than 25 Ministers and several high-level representatives, discussed the development and implementation of their NBSAPs, emphasizing the need for an integrated approach to achieve the successful implementation of KMGBF by 2030.
The Agri-NBSAPs Support Initiative is a comprehensive program designed to support countries in integrating biodiversity considerations into their agricultural policies and practices. It aims to:
- enhance policy coherence and institutional capacity to support sustainable agrifood systems;
- enhance biodiversity and sustainability in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and aquaculture for food security and nutrition;
- improve financial incentives and investments for promoting market development; and
- build knowledge and capacity for improved implementation, monitoring, and reporting of NBSAPs.
Spotlight on thematic days including Food Day:
FAO co-hosted Food Day together with the CBD Secretariat, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Government of Colombia, shining a spotlight on the intricate link between biodiversity and food security underlining how biodiversity is the foundation of food security and nutrition. The event served as a platform to explore practical and scalable solutions for transforming agrifood systems to support biodiversity and put food producers at the center of discussions.
In line with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, FAO also co-organized Restoration Day, focusing on the urgent actions needed to achieve Target 2 of the KMGBF, which aims to bring 30 percent of degraded ecosystems under effective restoration. This involved the launch of the Resource Guide on Target 2, designed to help countries translate their restoration plans into tangible actions. The event showcased critical tools for setting restoration targets, developing implementation plans, and monitoring diverse ecosystems like forests, grasslands, peatlands, and marine systems.
FAO actively participated in Forests and Water Day, emphasizing the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of forests and water-related ecosystems for the successful implementation of the KMGBF. Among other activities, FAO organized an event highlighting the often-overlooked role of fishers as stewards of marine biodiversity and their invaluable contributions to the KMGBF targets.
Celebrating Colombia’s commitment
A special event was held to celebrate Colombia’s ratification of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, marking a significant step towards promoting sustainable agriculture and food security.
In addition to the thematic days and High-Level Events, FAO led and participated in over 75 official and main events in the Blue and Green Zones. Through its Colombia Office, FAO supported the participation of several rural producer association representatives to the Green Zone, where they presented their products.
Publications and initiatives
FAO launched several other key publications and initiatives at COP16, including:
Other publications included a series demonstrating how FAO works with the Global Environment Facility to access investment resources.
A word of gratitude to Colombia
FAO expressed its gratitude to the Government of Colombia for hosting COP16 and for its commitment to integrating biodiversity considerations into its agricultural policies. Their successful ratification of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture was also acknowledged as a significant stride towards promoting sustainable agriculture and food security.
FAO and Colombia advocated for a global transition towards sustainable agrifood systems that benefit both people and the planet, highlighting FAO’s collaborative work in Colombia with the Green Climate Fund, the Global Environment Facility and other partners. Acknowledging the need for substantial investment and policy support to implement these changes broadly, they urged countries to pay particular attention to targets related to agrifood systems in NBSAPs.
In that context, Kaveh Zahedi, Director of the FAO Office for Climate, Biodiversity and Environment, highlighted that sustainable agrifood systems are crucial for achieving harmony between humanity and nature, and stressed the need to incorporate biodiversity considerations into agricultural policies and practices, recognizing the inseparable link between food security and the sustainable use of biodiversity.
Continuing the momentum
FAO’s active and impactful participation at COP16 served as a powerful testament to its commitment, in line with its mandate, to working together with Members and partners in transforming global agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable to achieve the ambitious goals of the KMGBF and in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
This concerted effort is essential to contribute to a more sustainable and biodiverse planet, ensuring food security, improving nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture for the benefit of present and future generations. The momentum generated at COP16 will continue to the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Azerbaijan and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification Conference (COP16) in Saudi Arabia, fueling FAO’s ongoing work in agrifood systems transformation and achieving the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life – leaving no one behind.
