Unfinished biodiversity negotiations are back on the table. After a groundbreaking session in Cali, Colombia, delegations are reconvening in Rome to tackle unfinished business that will be critical for biodiversity action – with transforming agrifood systems emerging as a central element for global success.
The resumed session of the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) will take place at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) headquarters in Rome from 25–27 February 2025.
For FAO, this conference is a pivotal opportunity to emphasize a vital message: transforming our agrifood systems is not just beneficial, it is indispensable for safeguarding global biodiversity.
To understand this and other critical issues at stake in these extended negotiations, FAO Newsroom spoke with Kaveh Zahedi, Director of FAO’s Office for Climate, Biodiversity and Environment.
Summary -
Summary: Biodiversity and Agrifood Systems
Biodiversity is the cornerstone of food security and sustainable agrifood systems, underpinning the productivity and resilience of crops, livestock, forestry, and fisheries. It provides the species we use for food, fuel, and fiber, while supporting essential ecosystem services like pollination (e.g., bees and butterflies boosting crop yields), pest control, soil health through microorganisms, and clean water and oxygen for agriculture. Genetic diversity within species enables adaptation to climate change, diseases, and pests, making it vital for resilient food systems. Healthy ecosystems—forests, oceans, savannahs—further sustain these processes, ensuring long-term food security.
How finance can be part of the solution to the world’s biodiversity crisis
What’s at Stake in Rome and FAO’s Role
The Rome negotiations aim to secure the financial and operational foundation for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), targeting $200 billion annually by 2030 and reducing harmful incentives by $500 billion yearly. Key unresolved issues include finalizing a resource mobilization strategy, a financial mechanism (leveraging the Global Environmental Facility and the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund), and a monitoring framework with 23 targets. FAO, as custodian of over 25 indicators, plays a pivotal role in shaping tools like the proposed Headline Indicator 22.1 (linking land tenure to ecosystem health) and pesticide risk metrics (e.g., pesticide concentration vs. aggregated toxicity). FAO also fosters cross-convention collaboration and may draft an action plan for biodiversity in food and nutrition.
COP16 in Cali: A Success?
COP16 in Cali was deemed successful for advancing Indigenous rights—including a new subsidiary body under Article 8(j)—and establishing a Digital Sequence Information (DSI) benefit-sharing mechanism tied to the Cali Fund. It emphasized integrating biodiversity with climate, food security, and agrifood systems, urging coordinated global action and support for national targets via National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs). FAO supported Indigenous-led conservation and launched the Agri-NBSAPs Support Initiative to embed biodiversity into agrifood policies.
FAO’s Engagement at COP16
FAO participated in over 75 events, including Food Day and a Ministerial event, promoting NBSAP integration into agrifood systems. It provided technical advice, held bilateral talks, and stressed that all 23 KMGBF targets relate to agrifood systems, requiring stakeholder involvement for success.
What’s Next?
The focus shifts to implementing the KMGBF, with FAO aiding countries to execute NBSAPs, access funds like the Kunming Biodiversity Fund (supporting 23 project proposals), and embed biodiversity-friendly agriculture into policies. The challenge is translating global goals into actionable, on-the-ground change to safeguard biodiversity and food security. Rome will finalize critical decisions to drive this forward.
