UN Conference reaches agreement to Mainstreaming Biodiversity to ensure Sustainable Development

As part of efforts to achieve sustainable development, governments from 167 countries have given an unparalleled recognition to the need to protect biodiversity across the agricultural sectors towards ensuring food security and addressing climate change.

The global leaders while making the agreement at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP13) held recently in Cancun, Mexico consented on specific steps to promote the integration of the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity within and across the agriculture, fisheries, forestry and tourism sectors.

Addressing participants at the Conference, Deputy Director General Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Maria Helena Semedo explained that though agricultural sectors and biodiversity have often been regarded as separate and even conflicting concerns, they are inextricably connected.

“Agriculture is by nature a major user of biodiversity, but it also has the potential to contribute to its protection,” she added

The Conference declaration stressed that the international community must involve different governmental and economic sector and not just environment ministries to protect biodiversity- the thousands of interconnected species that make up a vital web of ecosystem services upon which global food production depends.

The platform which is aimed at facilitating cross-sector dialogue, will allow ministries of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and environment to share experiences and explore how to best encourage sectors that depend or have an impact on biodiversity to adopt integrated approaches for its conservation and sustainable use.