Cape Town dialogue shows why biodiversity and pesticide safety must advance together

From 19 to 23 May 2025, two landmark events in Cape Town, South Africa, brought fresh momentum to a shared vision: aligning biodiversity conservation with sustainable agricultural transformation. The events were organized in parallel by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) through the Capacity Building related to Multilateral Environmental Agreements in African, Caribbean and Pacific countries Phase 3 (ACP MEAs 3) programme, with funding from by the European Union and the strong support of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Commonwealth and the African Union Commission.

On one side, environment and biodiversity leaders convened for the Regional Dialogue for Member States of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and East African Community (EAC), focused on updating National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) and regional frameworks under the theme “Harmony with Nature and Sustainable Development.” On the other, pesticide regulators gathered for the SADC Regional Training Workshop on the FAO Pesticide Registration Toolkit and Biopesticide Registration, themed “Making the Invisible More Visible.”

What united these two events was not just timing or geography, but a deeper realization: reversing biodiversity loss and transforming agrifood systems must go hand in hand. This interconnection is now clearly articulated in Target 7 of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), which calls for halving the risks from pesticides and hazardous chemicals by 2030.

Biodiversity strategies as vehicles for action
Across Southern and Eastern Africa, countries are currently revising their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) and Regional Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (BSAPs) to align with the GBF. These plans are the primary instruments for implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). But as emphasized in Cape Town, it is no longer enough for these strategies to focus only on protected areas and endangered species. They must also address agriculture, chemical safety, and public health areas where biodiversity is both affected and can be part of the solution.

FAO contributions in this space are strategic. Through integrated planning, harmonized regulatory tools, and field-tested technical guidance, including its work via the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), FAO supports Member States in translating the GBF into actionable, cross-sectoral outcomes.

Pesticide regulation as a biodiversity imperative
During the FAO-led pesticide registration workshop, regulators from across the SADC region engaged with the FAO Pesticide Registration Toolkit, an online decision-support system designed to guide authorities in evaluating and registering pesticide products. The toolkit enables risk-based, science-informed assessments to reduce harm to people, pollinators, and ecosystems.

The workshop also spotlighted FAO’s training on biopesticide registration, an essential step in making biological control products more accessible. Biopesticides are key to advancing Integrated Pest Management (IPM), a proven approach that helps farmers control pests while protecting beneficial organisms and reducing reliance on synthetic chemicals.
The discussions echoed the message of GBF Target 7b: reducing chemical risks is not only about bans, but also about enabling safer, accessible, and effective alternatives. Farmers need viable options, and policymakers need reliable system to support them as well as the regulatory infrastructure to ensure safety and foster innovation.

Effective regulation is not only a technical issue, but also an institutional one. Countries need clear, enforceable frameworks that balance innovation with precaution, and that align with international law. Legal certainty builds trust among stakeholders, from farmers to consumers, and ensures environmental risks are assessed and addressed responsibly.

From global frameworks to local implementation
Country-level examples reinforced this synergy. In Tanzania, FAO supported trials and the eventual registration of a new Aspergillus-based biopesticide for controlling fall armyworm. In Zimbabwe, FAO worked with government ministries to update its NBSAP, conduct health risk assessments on hazardous pesticides, and roll out IPM-based Farmer Field Schools (FFS). In Uganda, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe FAO facilitated dialogue between biodiversity and agriculture sectors to support coordinated implementation of the CBD and the key chemicals management MEAs; the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, the  Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals, and the  Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, three global treaties critical for managing hazardous chemicals and waste.

These efforts are not siloed. A key highlight from the week was the official endorsement of the SADC Regional Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (BSAP) on International Biodiversity Day (22 May 2025) during the SADC Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCA) Summit held in Harare, Zimbabwe. This milestone reflects strong regional alignment with the GBF. FAO provided direct technical assistance to SADC in developing the BSAP, ensuring strong integration of agrobiodiversity, sustainable agrifood systems, and cross-sectoral coordination. The BSAP includes measurable global biodiversity targets, advises on institutional implementation frameworks tailored to the region’s priorities, and incorporates actionable indicators to track progress in the face of complex environmental challenges.

FAO also supported the development of the SADC Regional Guidelines on Pesticide Management and the SADC Strategy on Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs). FAO facilitated technical consultations, aligning the guidelines with international best practices, and embedding risk-based decision-making frameworks that support the safe use, trade, and disposal of pesticides.

Strong collaboration with the Government of South Africa, including the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) facilitated technical and scientific cooperation, technology transfer, data and experience sharing throughout the event.

Aligning plans, policies, and people
The Cape Town events underscored a central message: biodiversity and pesticide safety are not separate agendas, they are interdependent. Updating an NBSAP without addressing pesticide risk leaves a critical gap. Regulating biopesticides without integrating biodiversity goals misses the bigger picture.

FAO role is to connect these dots, from the field to the policy level, through tools like the Pesticide Registration Toolkit, capacity building on IPM, support to BSAP implementation, and strengthened alignment with multilateral environmental agreements. FAO helps Member States make the GBF a practical reality.

As the clock ticks toward 2030, the GBF gives us a clear mandate and a closing window. The GBF is not just a scientific or technical agenda, it is a normative framework that calls on us to protect the common good, respect intergenerational equity, and uphold the right to a healthy environment. We must translate these ambitions into binding commitments and institutional reforms. With strengthened partnerships and integrated action, Member States in Southern and Eastern Africa are demonstrating that the path to nature-positive, climate-resilient, and productive agrifood systems must be built on both biodiversity and sound pesticide management.