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Biodiversity 

Food and Agriculture Day

Food and Agriculture Day 28 October 2026
COP17

Food and Agriculture Day 

Global Biodiversity Framework Pavilion - Yerevan (Armenia)
28/10/2026
10:00 – 18:30 UTC +4:00
Countries are entering a critical phase in the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), as they move from setting national targets and updating National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) to implementing and scaling up action on the ground. Agrifood systems rely on biodiversity and have great potential to contribute to its conservation and sustainable use, making them central to the achievement of the KMGBF's goals and targets.

Food and Agriculture Day will provide a platform to reflect on the role of agrifood systems in achieving global biodiversity targets and to explore how governments, producers, Indigenous Peoples, researchers, international and national organizations, and other stakeholders can contribute to this effort. The day will give particular attention to the enabling conditions needed to accelerate implementation and the engagement of the people and sectors whose actions are critical to delivering lasting outcomes. Together, these discussions will highlight pathways to translate commitments into action, contributing to the COP17 theme of "Taking Action for Nature".

The day will enable a range of discussions and exchanges on the role of agrifood systems in the implementation of the KMGBF and on key issues at the intersection of agrifood systems and biodiversity. Participants will explore how agrifood systems are being integrated into national biodiversity commitments, hear directly from custodians of biodiversity, and discuss approaches to strengthening biodiversity monitoring and reporting in agrifood systems. Discussions will highlight the importance of pollinator protection and examine the role of genetic resources for food and agriculture in supporting KMGBF delivery.
Programme
High-level opening session 
10:00 - 11:00

Mr. H.E. Hambardzum Matevosyan, Minister of Environment, President of COP17, Armenia  (TBC)

Mr. H.E. Gevorg Papoyan, Minister of Economy, Republic of Armenia

Mr. H.E. Jaimi van Essen, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature, Kingdom of the Netherlands 

Ms. Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (TBC)

Mr. Godfrey Magwenzi, Deputy Director-General, Director of Cabinet, FAO 

Facilitator:
Mr. Kaveh Zahedi, Assistant Director-General, Director of Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment, FAO

The session will open the day and provide a high-level overview of the importance of agrifood systems in delivering “Action for Nature”.  Bringing together high-level perspectives, it will reflect on the opportunities and challenges ahead and underscore the need for collective action to accelerate implementation and deliver positive outcomes for people, food security and biodiversity. 

 

Session 1.  The role of agrifood systems in implementing national biodiversity commitments
11:00 - 12:00

Ms. Julie Bélanger, Natural Resources Officer, FAO

Mr. Mahay Rivo Stephan Rakotomalala, Head of the Environment and Climate Change Service, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, Madagascar  

Mr. Adamou Ndam, Policy Fellow for Agroecology and Food Systems, Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN) 

Mr. Ramiro Batzin, Co-chair of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB) 

Ms. Martina Flackenstein, Global Policy Director Food & Agriculture, WWF International 

Facilitator:
Mr. Jack Rossiter, Senior Global Technical Specialist, Environment and Climate, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) 

As countries advance implementation of the KMGBF, integrating agrifood systems into biodiversity actions and policy measures is critical to translating commitments into results. This session will highlight recent findings from the FAO global analysis of how countries are integrating agrifood systems into their NBSAPs and national targets as well as findings from the Global review of collective progress in the implementation of the KMGBF. The session will provide an opportunity to reflect on coherence between agrifood- and biodiversity policies and highlight how countries are using agrifood system actions to meet their biodiversity commitments, where gaps remain and what opportunities exist to strengthen implementation. Through country examples and stakeholder perspectives, the session will reflect on what is needed to accelerate agrifood systems’ contribution to achieving the KMGBF.

 

Session 2.  Custodians of biodiversity: producers delivering on the KMGBF 
12:00 - 13:00

Mr. Pieter Verhelst, President of Agricord, member of the Board of Directors at Boerenbond, and Board Member of the World Farmers’ Organization (WFO)  

Ms. Esther Penunia, Secretary General, Asian Farmers Association (AFA) 

Mr. Okeloh W’Namadoa, President, Eastern Africa Non-State Actors in Fisheries (EARFISH) 

Ms. Magali Delomier, Deputy general manager of the Quebec farmers organization in Canada 

Ms. Claudia Valeria Sánchez, Red de Mujeres Indígenas por la Biodiversidad (RMIB-LAC)

 

Facilitator:
Ms. Pascale Bonzom, Global Head, Food and Agricultural Systems, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

This round table discussion will explore how the implementation of the KMGBF can best build on the experience, knowledge and existing contributions of agrifood producers. It will reflect the diversity of production landscapes in agrifood systems, bringing together perspectives from different producer groups, including farmers and fisherfolk, alongside Indigenous Peoples and local communities as rights holders, custodians of knowledge and stewards of biodiversity. The session will showcase lessons learned and good practices and discuss how the experience of agrifood producers can best be leveraged to advance biodiversity action.  


Session 3.   Measuring agrifood action: national biodiversity monitoring systems
14:30 - 15:30

Mr. Francis Sabino Meri Ogwal, CBD National Focal Point, Government of Uganda (TBC)

Mr. Mark Vurobaravu, Deputy Director, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), Republic of Vanuatu 

Mr. Thiago Belote Silva, Director of Forests, Ministry of Environment, Brazil 

Mr. Peter Mbanda Umunay, Global Environment Facility (GEF)

Facilitator:
Professor Jing Xu, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences (CRAES) (TBC)

The Global report on collective progress in the implementation of the KMGBF finds that many countries face institutional, technical capacity and resource challenges in monitoring and reporting on the implementation of their NBSAPs and preparing national reports. These challenges are particularly relevant as Parties have only three years to implement, monitor and report on their NBSAPs until 2030. This session will provide a platform for countries to share experiences and lessons learned on monitoring agrifood system contributions to the achievement of the KMGBF. It will provide an opportunity to discuss challenges, exchange solutions and good practices, and identify opportunities to strengthen national monitoring systems to better measure progress made on biodiversity commitments related to agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture, forestry and agrifood systems overall.  

Session 4. Pollinator protection and the Global Platform
15:30 - 16:30

Mr. Luthando Dziba, Executive Secretary, Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)

Mr. Alexander Haack, Director, Division of Climate Change, Rural Development and Infrastructure, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)

Mr. Koos Biesmeijer, Scientific Director, Naturalis Biodiversity Center 

Ms. Ruth Spencer, Local Community Representative, CBD Women’s Caucus

Ms. Joji Cariño, Senior Policy Advisor, Forest Peoples Programme (FPP) (TBC)


Facilitator:
Ms. Marina Kosmus, Head of the Competence Centre for Biodiversity, Forests, and Agriculture, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)

Pollinators are essential to biodiversity, food security and sustainable agrifood systems, yet they face increasing pressures from unsustainable production practices. This session will highlight the critical link between pollination and food security and showcase solutions through concrete steps for mainstreaming pollinator-friendly measures into agrifood systems, including pesticide reduction and integrated pest management, as well as multifunctional landscape planning and appropriate governance approaches. It will explore the need for a Global Pollinator Platform as a central hub for knowledge management and information exchange among governments and non-state actors. 

 

Session 5.   Harnessing genetic resources for food and agriculture to support KMGBF delivery 
17:00 - 18:00

Mr. Kent Nnadozie, Secretary, International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, FAO 

Mr. Kim Van Seeters, Senior Policy Officer, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature, Kingdom of the Netherlands 

Ms. Isabel López Noriega, Legal Specialist, Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT 

Ms. June Rubis, Research Fellow / CoFounder, Macquarie University / Building Initiative in Indigenous Heritage 

Ms. Tamar Jinjikhadze, Head of the Standards, Certification, Planning and Economic Analysis Division; Head of the Plant Genetic Resources Genebank, Scientific-Research Center of Agriculture, Georgia

Genetic resources are the foundation of biodiversity and agrifood systems – crop and livestock production, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture – underpinning food security, ecosystem services, resilience and sustainable development. The conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilization, are critical to ensure transformative change towards sustainable and resilient agrifood systems. 

This session will showcase recent developments in the fields of access to genetic resources for food and agriculture, digital sequence information and Indigenous and traditional knowledge, and the sharing of monetary and non-monetary benefits. It will also showcase the importance of continued exchange of genetic resources and related information for global food security, and the role of different governance and knowledge systems. 

 

Closing
18:00 - 18:30

Mr. H.E. Arman Khojoyan, Deputy Minister of Economy, Republic of Armenia (TBC)

Mr. Kaveh Zahedi, Assistant Director-General, Director of the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment, FAO 

This event will provide a brief summary of the day’s sessions and reflect on a way forward. 

 

Related resources
Agrifood systems in National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans global analysis
Agrifood systems in National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans – Global analysis
The Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) serves as the global framework for halting and reversing biodiversity loss including with and through agriculture and food systems. Adopted in 2022 at the CBD COP15, it establishes four goals for 2050 and 23 targets for 2030. National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) are the principal policy instruments through which countries translate these global commitments into national targets and actions. This global analysis assesses how agrifood systems are integrated into 78 revised or updated NBSAPs, examining how NBSAPs reflect the links between biodiversity and agrifood systems, incorporate agrifood-related actions, and promote enabling conditions for their implementation including institutional arrangements, finance and frameworks for monitoring.
Resource guide for Target 10 of the Kunming‑Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
Resource guide for Target 10 of the Kunming‑Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
Target 10 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) calls on countries to ensure that areas under agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry are managed sustainably, including through the sustainable use of biodiversity and a substantial increase in the application of biodiversity-friendly practices. National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) are the primary instruments through which countries translate global biodiversity commitments into national action. This resource guide supports countries in implementing Target 10 through NBSAPs and related policy processes. It places the target within the global context of international initiatives and national commitments and outlines its key components and intended outcomes. The guide provides practical considerations for planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting, while emphasizing the importance of involving all actors across agrifood systems. 
Agrifood systems in National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans policy brief

Policy brief
This policy brief presents selected key findings from the Global analysis of agrifood systems in National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs). Drawing on the analysis of 78 countries’ NBSAPs, the brief examines the extent to which agrifood systems are integrated into national targets and actions. It highlights key trends, sectoral patterns and opportunities to leverage agrifood system actions as entry points to deliver national and global biodiversity outcomes

 

EN FAO Strategy on Mainstreaming Biodiversity across Agricultural Sectors

The Agri-NBSAPs Support Initiative
Jointly launched by FAO, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Government of Colombia during COP16 in 2024, the Agri‑NBSAPs Support Initiative helps countries integrate agrifood systems into their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) and supports their implementation. The Initiative contributes to the achievement of the KMGBF by helping countries identify and translate its targets into agrifood‑system‑specific actions that advance the biodiversity commitments outlined in their NBSAPs. This support focuses on strengthening institutional capacity, improving policy coherence, fostering stakeholder participation, generating knowledge and enhancing access to finance.

Publication cover: Delivering on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework through agrifood systems

Delivering on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework through agrifood systems
Amid accelerating biodiversity loss and growing threats to ecosystems, sustainable agrifood systems can play a crucial role in reversing these trends while ensuring food security for a growing global population. Agrifood systems are directly linked to more than half of the 23 targets of the KMGBF and, in some way, to all the others. Therefore, agrifood sectors have a significant role in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of actions necessary to meet the framework's targets. By highlighting the connections between the KMGBF and agrifood sectors, this publication aims to facilitate the engagement of agrifood stakeholders in the framework's implementation.