A Satellite Event on Biodiversity and the Ecosystem Approach in Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries was held on the occasion of the Ninth Regular Session of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, in FAO, Rome, 12-13 October 2002. An informal presentation of the Satellite Event’s discussions and results was given on 16 October 2002.

The event was organized by the FAO Inter-Departmental Working Group on Biological Diversity for Food and Agriculture¹in support of the recommendation of the Seventh Session of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture which mentioned that “countries were encouraged to develop strategies, programmes and plans for agro-biodiversity in conformity with an ecosystem approach”. The meeting was supported by FAO’s Priority Area for Interdisciplinary Action on Biological Diversity and by the FAO/Netherlands Partnership Programme.

More specifically, the meeting aimed to improve awareness of the importance of biological diversity, through concrete cases from around the world, and to support the integration of the ecosystem approach applied to all types of production systems and policies and within biodiversity programmes and plans.

About 100 participants attended the day and a half event, including country delegations and observers to the Interim Committee of the International Treaty and the Ninth Regular Session of the Commission. The agenda and list of participants are attached.