Historic participation of Indigenous Peoples at the 20th session of the FAO Commission of Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

In a groundbreaking moment, the 20th Session of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA), held at FAO headquarters in Rome from 24 to 28 March 2025, marked a historic step toward inclusive participation of Indigenous Peoples in global governance for agricultural biodiversity. For the first time in the Commission’s history, Indigenous Peoples delivered a statement during the plenary session, which led to the formal recognition of the importance of their inclusion in the Commission’s meetings and decision-making processes.

The statement was presented by Carol Zavaleta, Co-Chair of the Indigenous Peoples Observatory Network (IPON) and member of the Global-Hub on Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems, and Lucy Mulenkei, Co-Chair of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB) and Co-Founder of the Indigenous Women & Biodiversity Network (IWBN).

“The involvement of Indigenous Peoples in the work of the Commission is fundamental to ensuring biodiversity is conserved and its use is sustainable,” said Carol Zavaleta. “Our knowledge systems are time-tested, community-driven, and deeply rooted in nature. We are not just stakeholders but rights and knowledge holders and custodians of these ecosystems.”

“With the decision of the CBD COP16 to establish a Subsidiary Body under Article 8(j), a door has opened for a more in deep recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge in biodiversity conservation, now we are continuing the work within the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Our ancestral knowledge encompasses food, medicine, spirituality, and territorial governance, all of which are essential to the stewardship of genetic resources.” emphasized Lucy Mulenkei.

This moment is the result of a joint effort between the FAO Indigenous Peoples Unit (PSUI) and the Secretariat of the Commission, reflecting a broader institutional engagement to elevate Indigenous Peoples participation in global food and biodiversity policy processes under the Commission. The recommendations for action from the Commission’s 20th Session includes over 8 mentions to Indigenous Peoples, including a call to donors to provide funding for their participation in the meetings of the Commission, making it a historic milestone that signals growing recognition of the central role of Indigenous Peoples in global multilateralism.

As part of this process, in the margins of the Commission session, a special side event titled “Indigenous Peoples’ Food and Knowledge Systems as Game Changers in the Conservation of Genetic Diversity” gathered Indigenous and non-Indigenous experts to deepen the conversation on integrating Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge into genetic resources governance.

Photo1: Benoît Girard, Chair of the CGRFA, speaking at the side event

Benoît Girard, Chair of the Commission from Canada, opened the event by highlighting the timeliness of Indigenous Peoples inclusion in global efforts to address biodiversity loss. Pointing that sustainable food systems and the preservation of genetic resources cannot succeed without Indigenous Peoples’ food and knowledge systems at the core.

H.E. Nosipho Jezile, Chairperson of the Committee on World Food Security and Ambassador and Permanent Representative of South Africa to the FAO, underscored the importance of cross-cultural dialogue and political will, while emphasizing FAO’s work within the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), where the forthcoming HLPE-FSN report on “Preserving, Strengthening, and Promoting Indigenous Peoples’ Food and Knowledge Systems and Traditional Practices for Sustainable Food Systems” is set for release in July 2026.

Thanawat Tiensin, FAO Assistant Director-General and Director of the Animal Production and Health Division, emphasized the importance of collaboration and the creation of inclusive platforms where Indigenous Peoples’ voices shape policies and actions. He highlighted that Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge systems are essential to FAO’s mission of achieving the protection of genetic biodiversity and a way to ensure sustainable food systems transformation.

The technical panel featured Lucy Mulenkei, who spoke on the gendered dimension of biodiversity governance and the role of Indigenous Women as seed guardians and community leaders, while Carol Zavaleta drew attention to the links between Indigenous Peoples’ food and knowledge systems, climate resilience, and zoonotic disease prevention.

Photo 2: H.E. Nosipho Jezile, Chairperson of the CFS and Ambassador and Permanent Representative of South Africa to the FAO, speaking at the side event

Manoela Pessoa de Miranda, Secretary of the Commission, attended the event and emphasized the relevance of the involvement of Indigenous Peoples in FAO’s work to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of genetic biodiversity. In this regard, she noted that "integrating Indigenous Peoples meaningfully into the Commission’s work is not only a matter of justice but a strategic imperative to meet our biodiversity, food security, and climate and biodiversity goals. This session marks a turning point for deeper collaboration and shared stewardship of our planet’s genetic resources for food and agriculture."

The event also included the online participation of Fabricio Brugnano, representative of the Brazilian Coletivo Jupago Kreká, who shared experiences from Brazil on the Indigenous Peoples’ biocentric restoration global programme as a way to ensure the sustainable use and conservation of genetic biodiversity: “Our territories are living libraries of genetic diversity. Without them, the world would lose irreplaceable knowledge,” said Brugnano.

Yon Fernandez de Larrinoa, Head of the FAO Indigenous Peoples Unit, highlighted FAO’s commitment to integrating Indigenous priorities in its biodiversity strategy and how FAO is working to recognize Indigenous Peoples’ contributions to address climate change, biodiversity loss and soil degradation. He noted that “we are witnessing a paradigm shift—the recognition of Indigenous Peoples as partners in biodiversity and climate governance is needed”.

Additionally, the event recognized how all these efforts are aligned with global biodiversity and climate targets under the UNFCCC, UNCCD and CBD.