The Global Biodiversity Framework and challenges for agricultural biodiversity

Director of the FAO Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment Eduardo Mansur contributed to a virtual discussion on the status of the draft Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and underlying issues related to agricultural biodiversity.

The event was part of a series of webinars organized by the EU-funded FAO capacity-building project related to the implementation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries (ACP-MEAs 3).

It brought together representatives from the European Commission, the Convention on Biological Diversity and ACP countries to identify and discuss GBF targets relevant to agricultural biodiversity.

“The framework gives us a great opportunity to address the biodiversity crisis. The GBF is hopefully going to shape international and national actions during the upcoming decade,” said Mansur in his opening remarks.

“The ACP-MEAs 3 programme is in line with the global effort to promote sustainable food systems and to reverse biodiversity loss,” observed Chantal Marijnissen, Head of Unit for Environment, Sustainable Natural Resources at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships, highlighting the importance of a cross-sectoral approach as key to finding solutions for loss of biodiversity.

The webinar presented an opportunity to increase the knowledge of ACP countries on the status of the draft GBF, while bringing to the fore underlying issues related to agricultural biodiversity. FAO also briefed participants on the organization’s work on biodiversity, which aims to support countries in balancing the need to improve food and nutrition security with that of preventing the degradation, contamination and loss of ecosystems and natural resources.