The 2024 UN Desertification Conference (UNCCD COP 16) held on December 5th focused on key issues related to agriculture, soil protection, and food security. Two major events at the conference highlighted the need for integrated strategies that link agriculture, conservation, and environmental sustainability to ensure food security and biodiversity conservation.
One of the events centered on the release of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) 2024 Agriculture and Conservation report. This report, the second in a series, presented valuable insights on how agricultural systems can be aligned with conservation efforts. It underscored the importance of a systems-based approach to farming that takes into account local contexts, scales, and production systems. The report demonstrated that it is possible to both feed the world and conserve the biodiversity that agriculture depends on. It stressed the need for better land management practices, the use of payments for ecosystem services (PES), and regulatory changes to unlock significant benefits for both agriculture and the environment.
Key findings of the report included the need for governments to reform harmful agricultural subsidies and to implement conservation strategies that can enhance food security. The report highlighted successful examples of conservation strategies, such as protecting water resources and pollinators, which have had positive impacts on agricultural productivity and food security. Additionally, the report emphasized the importance of on-farm income in achieving conservation goals, the role of blended finance in supporting sustainable practices, and the need for governments to help farmers transition to more sustainable and resilient agricultural systems.
The event also highlighted the role of farmer access to credit and financial resources, which are essential for supporting the transition to more sustainable farming practices. The IUCN report is seen as a critical tool for supporting an integrated strategy on climate change, environment, and biodiversity, a request made by IFAD member states for the first time. This strategy aims to address the interconnected challenges of climate change, environmental degradation, and food insecurity, and the IUCN report provides a comprehensive framework to guide this effort.
Another event at the conference focused on Germany’s Global Programme on Soil Protection and Rehabilitation for Food Security, known as ProSoil. This program has made significant contributions to soil health and agricultural productivity in several countries, benefiting smallholder farmers and local communities. ProSoil has supported over 290,000 smallholder farmers, impacting the lives of around two million people, with nearly half of the beneficiaries being women. The program’s successes include increased agricultural productivity in Burkina Faso, where an annual food surplus of 11,000 tons of grain has been achieved, and positive impacts in Benin, where women-led initiatives in sustainable land management have been particularly successful.
In India, ProSoil has implemented participatory water budgeting, allowing for the equitable and efficient use of water resources. The program has also introduced climate-resilient agricultural practices, such as nutrient management, vermicomposting, soil testing, and the use of soil health cards. Farmers in India have benefited from crop weather advisories, with over 70,000 farmers in four states downloading an app that provides weather-related information and allows farmers to contribute data. These initiatives have improved the resilience of farming systems and helped farmers adapt to the challenges posed by climate change.
The ProSoil program also emphasizes the importance of land tenure policies, participatory water management, and the involvement of women in sustainable land management practices. These factors are essential for ensuring long-term soil health and agricultural productivity. The program has also fostered the creation of expert panels on land management, which provide advice to governments and ministries on best practices for soil protection and rehabilitation.
The World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technology (WOCAT) has played a key role in supporting the ProSoil program by providing tools for data standardization and open access to the data generated through the program. This collaboration ensures that the knowledge and experiences gained from ProSoil are accessible to a wider audience and can be used to inform future conservation and agricultural practices.
Both events at the UNCCD COP 16 underscored the critical importance of integrating agriculture, conservation, and environmental protection to achieve food security and protect the planet’s biodiversity. By adopting systems approaches, improving land management, and supporting farmers with the necessary resources and knowledge, it is possible to create agricultural systems that are both productive and sustainable.
