admin In Pokhara, Nepal, this week, a significant gathering is underway at the International Conference on Agrobiodiversity. This event draws together 150 delegates from around the globe, representing forest and farm producer organisations, smallholder farmers, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities. Their collective aim? To delve into the most effective ways to steward the planet’s agrobiodiversity, a crucial component for sustaining global food security and ecological resilience.
Championing Agrobiodiversity
At the heart of the conference, organised by the Forest and Farm Facility—a collaborative effort of the FAO, the International Institute for Environment and Development, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and AgriCord—participants are tackling the pressing issues that threaten agrobiodiversity. Despite the cultivation of over 7,000 plant species for food historically, a staggering reliance on just three—rice, wheat, and maize—accounts for more than half of the global plant-based caloric intake. This alarming trend underscores the critical role of agrobiodiversity in ensuring diverse, nutritious, and resilient food systems.
The guardians of the world’s remaining agrobiodiversity, including smallholder farmers, Indigenous Peoples, and rural communities, find themselves at a crossroads. They are battling against the tide of large-scale industrial agriculture, land degradation, and the escalating threats posed by climate change. Yet, these communities, operating small farms that make up 84 percent of all farms worldwide, are responsible for producing about 35 percent of the world’s food on merely 12 percent of its agricultural land.
A Unified Approach to Sustainable Development
The conference agenda is rich and varied, with delegates engaging in knowledge exchange on policy, seed conservation, sustainable agricultural practices, enterprise development, and financing models. A key focus is fostering cooperation across a spectrum of stakeholders—including government bodies, the private sector, and finance institutions—to weave agrobiodiversity into the fabric of forest and farm value chains more effectively.
A highlight of the conference is a field trip, offering delegates a tangible glimpse into how Nepal’s community forestry groups—a model celebrated globally for its integration of biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and rural livelihoods—are championing agrobiodiversity management practices.
The conference’s hybrid format ensures wide accessibility, aligning with the goals of the United Nations Decade on Family Farming (2019-2028). It stands as a testament to the collaborative efforts of various organisations, including the Federation of Community Forest Users Nepal, the Ministry of Forests and Environment of the Government of Nepal, and others dedicated to promoting sustainable farming practices and biodiversity conservation across the globe.
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