In mid-2024, a significant gathering took place in Quebec, Canada, where global leaders, agricultural experts, farmers, and biodiversity advocates came together to discuss the critical issue of translating biodiversity commitments into tangible actions. The “Agriculture, Biodiversity, and Food Security: From Commitments to Actions” conference aimed to tackle one of the world’s most pressing challenges: how to preserve biodiversity while feeding a growing global population. The conference’s central focus was on developing a technical roadmap for the effective implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), with a strong emphasis on the involvement of the farming community.
The roadmap is vital for supporting global efforts to adapt and transform agriculture into systems that are sustainable, biodiversity-conscious, and resilient to climate change. It underscores the deep interconnection between agriculture and biodiversity, highlighting the urgent need for integrated action across various sectors. Farmers are at the heart of this transformation, and their active participation is crucial in making biodiversity commitments a reality.
Agriculture plays a dual role in biodiversity conservation. On one hand, it is a significant driver of biodiversity loss, due to factors such as deforestation, monoculture farming, pesticide use, and pollution. On the other hand, agriculture is heavily dependent on healthy ecosystems. Biodiversity supports agriculture by providing essential ecosystem services such as pollination, soil health, and nutrient cycling, all of which are vital for maintaining crop and livestock productivity. This interconnectedness between agriculture and biodiversity calls for a shift toward more sustainable agricultural practices that not only minimize environmental harm but also actively promote biodiversity conservation.
Despite the growing recognition of the need for sustainable practices, numerous challenges persist. In many cases, the role of agriculture in biodiversity conservation is overlooked in policy frameworks, both at the national and international levels. Farmers, meanwhile, face the difficult task of balancing sustainable practices with the need to maintain their livelihoods. These challenges underscore the importance of engaging farmers directly in the development of solutions that promote biodiversity conservation while supporting their economic well-being.
The conference concluded with four key recommendations to bridge the gap between knowledge and action, offering a pathway for turning global biodiversity commitments into practical, on-the-ground changes. These recommendations include: (i) increasing knowledge on biodiversity for food and agriculture, (ii) adopting sustainable agricultural practices, (iii) implementing global frameworks, and (iv) coordinating actions within national policies. Farmers must be seen as critical actors in this process, and it is essential to work with them to co-identify innovative financing and technical solutions that benefit them. Listening to their challenges and successes is key to ensuring that the roadmap is relevant and effective.
The call for global collaboration was clear at the conference. The technical roadmap outlined a clear path for enhancing the visibility of farmers’ contributions to biodiversity and providing a framework for action at the local and national levels. Implementing this roadmap will require cooperation across sectors, including farmers, indigenous communities, scientists, policymakers, and businesses. Only through this collaborative effort can we ensure that biodiversity commitments are transformed into meaningful actions that support both the environment and global food security.
In conclusion, the Agriculture, Biodiversity, and Food Security conference emphasized the need for a unified, concerted effort to transform agricultural practices and integrate biodiversity into food systems. By working together and fostering collaboration, it is possible to build a more sustainable future for agriculture and biodiversity, ensuring that both can thrive for generations to come.
