FAO’s call for agrifood systems transformation resounds at UN Biodiversity COP16 in Colombia

Cali, Colombia – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concluded its impactful participation in the 2024 UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP16) in Cali, Colombia, where its central message—agrifood systems play a critical role in achieving biodiversity goals—reverberated throughout the two-week event.

The conference, themed “Peace with Nature”, marked a pivotal moment in the global endeavor to safeguard biodiversity and address the interconnected challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change, and sustainable development.  

The FAO delegation, led by Director of Cabinet Godfrey Magwenzi, actively engaged in numerous events and discussions, emphasizing the importance of agrifood systems solutions in delivering on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). FAO’s consistent message throughout the conference was clear: transforming agrifood systems is not just an option but a necessity for achieving a sustainable and biodiverse planet.

According to its hosts, COP16 saw record breaking attendance with almost 8 000 people a day in the Blue Zone, reserved for official negotiators and delegations, while as of 28 October more than 527 000 people had visited the Green Zone, a space to encourage the participation of civil society, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and all those interested in the protection and conservation of biological diversity.

FAO’s presence at COP16 underscored its commitment to building resilient agrifood systems that contribute to the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of biodiversity, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and improved food security and nutrition. To effectively address these challenges, solutions need to be prioritized across multilateral environmental agreements, receive increased financial and technical support, and be fully integrated into national planning processes. This requires scaling up agrifood systems solutions through enabling policies, innovation, and technologies that reach smallholder farmers and producers, ensuring an equitable, inclusive, and gender-responsive transformation. 

COP16 itself served as a critical platform for governments to take stock of national target-setting for biodiversity and kickstart the implementation of the KMGBF.

FAO highlighted its technical assistance to countries in developing and implementing National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) to effectively integrate biodiversity considerations into agrifood policies and practices.

FAO’s active and impactful participation at COP16 served as a powerful testament to its commitment, in line with its mandate, to working together with Members and partners in transforming global agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable to achieve the ambitious goals of the KMGBF and in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

This concerted effort is essential to contribute to a more sustainable and biodiverse planet, ensuring food security, improving nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture for the benefit of present and future generations. The momentum generated at COP16 will continue to the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Azerbaijan and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification Conference (COP16) in Saudi Arabia, fueling FAO’s ongoing work in agrifood systems transformation and achieving the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life – leaving no one behind.