As small-scale food producers, we have long understood the deep connection between food systems and biodiversity. But a disturbing cycle has emerged: Our global food system is now the primary driver of biodiversity loss, threatening the very ecosystems it relies upon. With the U.N. Biodiversity Conference, or COP16, underway in Cali, Colombia, it's time for policymakers to recognize the critical link between food systems and biodiversity — and take decisive action.
One of the solutions to ensure a sustainable food system lies in agroecology, an approach that harmonizes food production with nature while prioritizing farmer agency and livelihoods.
We’ve seen that there is growing momentum to integrate food systems into climate and biodiversity policies. Policymakers at COP16 have the opportunity to make meaningful progress on protecting and restoring biodiversity while meeting the goals to end hunger and securing the livelihoods of smallholder farmers for generations to come.
About the authors
Elujulo Opeyemi
Elujulo Opeyemi founded the Youth in Agroecology and Restoration Network, a movement of African youth leveraging awareness on agroecology and capacity-building for agrifood systems transformation. He is a Ban Ki-moon Youth Agri-Champion and the SDG2 Global Focal Point at the U.N. Major Group for Children and Youth, or UNMGCY, where he ensures youth perspectives are captured into food related entities within the U.N. system and its partner agencies.
Estrella “Esther” Penunia
Estrella “Esther” Penunia is secretary-general of the Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development, or AFA. AFA is a regional alliance of national farmer organizations, representing around 13 million small-scale family farmers engaged in crops, livestock, fisheries, forestry, herding, and pastoralism. AFA promotes sustainable, climate-resilient, and agroecological approaches in farms, fisheries, and forests.
Karina Gonçalves David
Karina Gonçalves David is an agroforestry organic farmer in Brazil. In 2013, she co-founded ProNobis Agroflorestal, a project that involves food production in agroforestry systems on a farm in southern Brazil. She facilitates courses and lectures on agroforestry, Participatory Guarantee System, or PGS, shiitake mushroom production, organic farming, and agroecology. She is a part of the PGS of the Ecovida Network and is the director of the southern region of the Organic Brazil Institute.
