FAO : SD Dimensions : Environment : Environmental conventions and agreements

Posted April 1999

Report: Sustaining Agricultural Biodiversity and Agro-ecosystem Functions

1. Introduction

1.1 Background

Agricultural biodiversity ^[1] is essential for global food production, livelihood security and sustainable agricultural development. The plant, animal and microbial organisms important to food and agriculture must be conserved and used sustainably if, as is required for universal food security, sustainable food production is to be achieved across the whole range of agro-ecosystems and production systems. This has been recognized not only by FAO but also by the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and many other organizations from global to local levels.

Governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations have, therefore, initiated a process to ensure that agricultural biodiversity issues will constitute an integral part of their respective policies, plans and programmes in the fields of agriculture ^[2], environment and natural resources management. Accordingly, FAO together with the CBD Secretariat, and with the support of the Government of the Netherlands, organized this international technical workshop to support the complementary and parallel processes of these two inter-governmental bodies.

This current workshop is a follow-up to the first technical workshop, held in June 1997, which was also organized jointly by FAO and the CBD Secretariat with the support of the Government of the Netherlands. The report of the initial workshop entitled "Farming Systems Approaches for the Sustainable Use and Conservation of Agricultural Biological Diversity and Agro-Ecosystems" ^[3] was welcomed by the Conference of Parties of the CBD (see Executive summary, or full report at Convention on Biological Diversity Web site - http://www.biodiv.org/sbstta3/sbstta3-i10.html - 190K file).

As outlined in its report, the first workshop identified the need for cooperative and integrated approaches among all relevant actors, institutions and focal points at national and international levels to: increase information and awareness, provide guidance for conducting and harmonizing assessments of resources and relevant sectoral and cross-sectoral capacities and priorities, and identify and enhance the effectiveness of relevant legal and policy instruments and mechanisms.

1.2 Purpose of Workshop

Focusing on agro-ecosystems and production systems levels, the workshop helped to identify the main elements required to provide enabling environments and technical, policy, institutional and legal incentives, from global to local levels, for the conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biodiversity. Emphasis was placed on the following:

Identifying possible mechanisms (approaches and incentives) for developing and promoting integrated, biodiversity-supporting efforts and actions at agro-ecosystem level in particular those that optimize cooperation and synergies between agricultural and environmental sectors and subsectors and between the diverse actors.

Contributing to the analysis of ongoing activities and instruments addressing agricultural biological diversity using tools, such as an analytical matrix ^[4], to facilitate the synthesis of information and, through this and other methods, the identification of criteria for setting priorities.

The workshop was designed to achieve four objectives:

To stimulate work at country level and within institutions that will contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biodiversity through the implementation of COP decisions III/11 and IV/6.

To provide expert advice to FAO and the CBD on the assessment of ongoing activities and instruments on agricultural biodiversity with a view to facilitating SBSTTA's consideration and development of recommendations regarding priorities for the Convention's work programme on agricultural biodiversity.

To assist FAO and the CBD to identify complementary and synergistic programmes in their joint work programme, and through partnerships with other organizations, with a view to strengthening work on agricultural biodiversity and the ecosystem approach.

To contribute to the FAO-Netherlands Conference on the Multifunctional Character of Agriculture and Land and other meetings that will feed into the FAO Conferences and CSD-8.

1.3 Workshop Process

Over 60 participants attended, including 18 female experts, representing 20 countries in all regions and 15 international and regional organizations (see Annex I). The national experts were selected jointly by the organizing bodies using the roster of experts set up by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention. They were supplemented by regional experts and representatives nominated by international organizations and associations. The participants' experiences and expertise covered a wide range of scientific and technical expertise in the area of agricultural biodiversity including the main thematic areas: plant, animal and microbial genetic resources; wildlife important for food and agriculture; land resources and ecosystem management; farming systems development; traditional knowledge systems and community/participatory processes; and food security and market issues.

In preparation for the workshop, case studies had been collected, covering a wide range of agro-ecosystems all over the world. Eight participants presented a selection of these. Six case studies are summarized in this report. Further background materials were provided by the organizers and participants. The case studies and materials presented experiences, lessons learned and best practices in the development of approaches and incentive measures in different agro-ecosystems and in different regions of the world.

The participants identified key problems and prioritized issues and those areas of intervention which provide opportunities for making substantial achievements and for overcoming major constraints and obstacles to the conservation of agricultural biodiversity, especially regarding the maintenance and sustainable use of agro-ecosystems and the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices and technologies.

The workshop concluded with the signing of the covering letter to this current report by FAO, SCBD and the Government of the Netherlands addressed to all Members of FAO, Parties to the CBD and to Country Representatives and Observers to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD).

1.4 Structure of this report

Having summarized the background, purpose and process of the workshop, this report then provides the context, terms and concepts considered during the workshop. Section 3 of the report summarizes the discussions and results of the workshop under four broad headings: Information, assessment and indicators; Research and development; Awareness and capacity building; and Development of policies and instruments. Finally, Section 4 summarizes the major conclusions and recommendations that were identified at technical and policy levels by the workshop.

Notes

1. "Agricultural biodiversity", the term used throughout this report, is synonymous with "agricultural biological diversity" as used in decisions III/11 and IV/6 of the COP.

2. The use of the term "agriculture" in this report includes all types of food and agricultural production, inter alia, crop and livestock husbandry, fisheries and forestry.

3. See (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/ 3/Inf.10).

4. The "Matrix" was developed by FAO and SCBD to assist in the analysis and synthesis of relevant ongoing activities and instruments as reported by governments and international and regional organizations.

To: Context, terms and concepts