The 2025 Conferences of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (BRS COPs) took place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 28 April to 9 May 2025. This year’s theme, "Make Visible the Invisible: sound management of chemicals and waste" emphasized the interlinkages between chemicals, waste and the pressing crises of pollution, biodiversity loss and climate change.

As part of the official programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) organized a side event focused on a critical challenge: how to scale up biodiversity-friendly pest control practices as effective alternatives to Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs).

The side event highlighted the importance of transitioning away from toxic chemical solutions in agriculture toward safer, sustainable and biodiversity-enhancing approaches. The panel, comprising farmers, regulators, researchers and the private sector, discussed ways for overcoming challenges and possible solutions like Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and biological control.

Opening the side event, Christine Fuell, Executive Secretary a.i. to the Rotterdam Convention co-hosted by FAO, emphasized that “Transitioning away from HHPs is critical to reducing their risks to human health and the environment. Embracing safer, sustainable alternatives—such as integrated pest management (IPM), agroecological practices, and biopesticides—can significantly reduce these risks while enhancing agricultural resilience and productivity.”

Global agriculture faces mounting challenges from pests that threaten food security, biodiversity, and farmers’ livelihoods. Pest control methods relying heavily on chemical pesticides have resulted in numerous adverse effects, including environmental degradation, the development of pesticide resistance and serious health risks to humans and animals.

Finbarr Horgan, FAO Agroecology Expert, provided a global overview of biodiversity-friendly pest control, stressing that such approaches are central to ecosystem-based food production: “Biodiversity is not a by-product of good agriculture, it’s the foundation. Pest control strategies that work with, not against, nature offer long-term solutions.”

From the farmer’s perspective, Sylvia Kuria, an organic farmer from Kenya, shared her direct experience: “Biodiversity-friendly farming is needed, not just for the environment, but also for our health. It’s time to move from commitment to implementation, biodiversity-friendly pest management is possible and necessary.”

The event concluded with a lively panel discussion and audience Q&A, reinforcing the importance of knowledge exchange and stakeholder engagement. Participants expressed strong support for scaling up biodiversity-friendly alternatives and called for greater visibility of success stories and practical tools.