Posted April 1999

Report: Sustaining Agricultural Biodiversity and Agro-ecosystem Functions

4. Conclusions and recommendations

On the basis of the work carried out by FAO and the CBD since COP III, the analysis of ongoing activities of international and national organizations, as well as the large amount of information considered by the workshop and the best available expertise brought to the workshop by the participants, showed that much relevant information and many activities, programmes, plans, strategies and policy instruments already exist to address the issues raised in the workshop.

4.1. Priority Issues and Actions

4.1.1 Information, assessment and indicators

Despite the work of many organizations on the development of assessment methodologies and indicators, the workshop identified deficiencies with respect to agricultural biodiversity at agro-ecosystem levels and prioritized the following needs:

• to facilitate the exchange of information between different actors and stakeholders;
• to identify agro-ecosystem-specific indicators and the use of these for assessment, monitoring and understanding the causes of changes in agricultural biodiversity;
• to focus on developing indicators particularly for changes at agro-ecosystem levels and for the economic forces that influence these changes;
• to link indicators and assessment with particular dimensions of agricultural biodiversity, such as for food security, biological support systems or agro-ecosystem functions.

Although the research and development programmes of many international, national and local organizations already have focused on activities for the conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biodiversity, the workshop prioritized the need for:

• emphasizing greater coordination and information sharing between research and development programmes and better formal and informal sector linkages;
• strengthening national agricultural research systems on agricultural biodiversity related issues and for increasing research to demonstrate the value and costs and benefits of agricultural biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, building on proven local practices wherever possible;
• furthering farmer-driven participatory research and technology development processes through farmer field schools, recognition of local knowledge systems, etc., with full participation of local communities;
• emphasizing three main issues considered essential for research and development: ecosystem approaches and ecosystem functions; specific research on classes of species such as soil biota, pollinators and predators that are essential for productive soils and plants; and threats and positive incentives for agricultural biodiversity.
• developing a set of guiding principles for the identification, development, evaluation and reproduction of ecologically sound production systems and agricultural practices which promote the conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biodiversity in agro-ecosystems;
• promoting communications and facilitating the exchange of information on relevant scientific, research and practical information among different actors and stakeholders, including practitioners, producers and their organizations, and to relevant institutions and decision-makers, especially through improved South-South exchanges of electronic information.

4.1.3 Awareness raising and capacity building

Despite the interventions and actions of FAO, CBD and many expert institutions at all levels, and increased attention to biodiversity and sustainable use issues since UNCED, and bearing in mind the ecosystem approach adopted by the COP, the workshop prioritized actions for:

• capacity building to improve knowledge and information on agricultural biodiversity - which remains a key issue that hinders greater commitment and support - especially by raising awareness of the value and importance of agricultural biodiversity at the agro-ecosystem level;
• capacity building to disseminate sustainable methods for agricultural biodiversity conservation by demonstrating through case studies, training and briefing materials and public media as well as field demonstrations the importance and value of agricultural biodiversity in diverse agro-ecosystems and landscapes for all types of production systems;
• capacity building for decision-making and planning and policy-making on agricultural biodiversity by increasing communication, training and information campaigns in order to raise awareness and dialogue among policy-makers, politicians, professionals, producers, consumers, the public and students.

4.1.4 Development of policies and instruments

Even though there are a number of separate decisions, instruments, policies and programmes that address aspects of the conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biodiversity in agro-ecosystems, the workshop prioritized the need for:

• integrating agricultural biodiversity in national biodiversity programmes and action plans as well as in national environmental action plans and agricultural strategies and plans;
• developing coordination and policy coherence at international, national and regional level between relevant organizations, ministries and sectoral bodies at all levels;
• mitigating the influences of (and reforming where possible) the market, market forces and the existing economic framework which have major impacts on agricultural biodiversity, exacerbated by economic disincentives through, for example, inequitable land tenure and negative or perverse incentives;
• introducing incentive measures as important instruments to counter the above, including: fees, charges and environmental taxes; certification and eco-labelling; market creation and property rights; and regulations;
• developing and implementing a Code of Conduct on Agricultural Biodiversity, based on existing agreements, which would assist private sector, government and civil society organizations to identify their rights and obligations and inform their policy-makers and programme developers.

4.2 Recommendations

• widening the understanding of agricultural biodiversity;
• increasing recognition of its essential contribution to all types of production systems at all levels; and
• improving integration and coordination of activities and processes.

4.2.1 Widening the understanding of agricultural biodiversity

A particular contribution by this workshop is the description of the scope of agricultural biodiversity in terms of a concept that could be applied at all scales, production systems and agro-ecosystems whereby agricultural biodiversity encompasses the variety and variability of animals, plants and micro-organisms which are necessary to sustain key functions of the agro-ecosystem, its structures and processes for, and in support of, food production and food security.

Within this concept of agricultural biodiversity, the workshop considered three dimensions of agricultural biodiversity that could be useful not only for increasing understanding but also as a structure for future programmes and plans:

• Sustainable production of food and other agricultural products emphasizing both strengthening sustainability in production systems at all levels of intensity and improving the conservation, sustainable use and enhancement of the diversity of all genetic resources for food and agriculture (plant and animal resources) in all types of production systems.
• Biological or life support to production emphasizing conservation, sustainable use and enhancement of the biological resources that support sustainable production systems particularly soil biota, especially those which develop soil fertility and improve plant production, pollinators and predators.
• Ecological and social services provided by agro-ecosystems emphasizing services such as landscape and wildlife protection, soil protection and health (fertility, structure and function), water cycle and water quality, air quality, CO₂ sequestration, etc.

The workshop discussed that this could help in developing criteria for priority setting; however, it was noted that any actions would need to be country-driven and locally validated (using case studies) and would need to be developed with the full participation of all actors including local producers and communities.

4.2.2. Increasing recognition of the essential contribution of agricultural biodiversity in all production systems

The workshop recommended that the maintenance, sustainable use and enhancement of all types and levels of agricultural biodiversity be encouraged in all types of production systems from diverse to specialized, small- to large-scale and intensive to extensive systems.

The workshop recognized that the interdependence of the plants and animals that are harvested with the agricultural biodiversity that provides biological support systems and ecological services is as relevant in intensive specialized agricultural systems as it is in more diverse production systems.

An obvious area on which to focus is the conservation and sustainable utilization of agricultural biodiversity in diverse, integrated production systems, especially in the Vavilov centres of diversity and within marginal lands. The workshop highlighted the importance of ensuring the implementation of integrated agro-ecosystem approaches to production work in these systems. It was agreed that the application of such holistic approaches can maximize sustainable production as well as conserving, sustainably using and enhancing agricultural biodiversity.

However, the workshop also recognized that in specialized, intensive production systems in all regions of the world, including industrialized countries, similar policies and actions are required, although the specific interventions, actors and stakeholders will vary from one system to another according to the key threats and opportunities. In these intensive systems the importance of the biological systems that support production, such as increasing soil fertility, pollination and control of pests and diseases, and the ecological services provided by agricultural biodiversity, is often neglected with potential long-term negative impacts on production and the environment. This requires the development of new policies and approaches to the conservation and sustainable utilization of agricultural biodiversity within these intensive systems in order to sustain production as well as the removal or mitigation of perverse incentives and negative policies.

The workshop agreed on the vital importance of these approaches within specialized, intensive production systems and recognized the potential opportunities as well as the obstacles through the reform of agricultural support and trade measures, for example in the expanding European Union.

4.2.3. Improving integration and coordination of activities and processes for sustaining agricultural biodiversity, productivity and agro-ecosystem functions

The workshop underscored the importance of integration and coordination of activities and processes. Better cooperation and improved information flows among all actors, institutions, relevant departments and organizations was stressed as being essential for furthering work on: assessment and monitoring; research, development and extension; capacity building, education and awareness raising; and policy and development of legal frameworks. For example, existing inter-governmental commitments to implement decisions of CBD/COP and FAO include agricultural biodiversity measures, such as the Global Plan of Action for the Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (GPA) and the FAO Global Strategy for the Management of Farm Animal Genetic Resources. In this context, it was suggested that the development of national biodiversity action plans, national environmental action plans and agricultural strategies and plans, include action plans for the conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biodiversity at all levels, and that this would necessarily need to involve ministries of agriculture and environment, among others.

Coordination between all relevant focal points, departments and key organizations on these issues and actions was considered essential and generally in need of improvement. These include ministries, institutions, formal and informal sector organizations and the public and private sectors, at all levels. The proposed Code of Conduct on Agricultural Biodiversity was seen as a contribution to this.

All organizations in the field of sustainable development need to work further to integrate and mainstream agricultural biodiversity in their policies, programmes and activities in order to develop action plans on the conservation and sustainable utilization of agricultural biodiversity, especially at agro-ecosystem levels. The workshop particularly commended FAO's progress in this regard and noted the excellent working relationship between FAO and the CBD.

To: Annex I: Participants