Opinion: Ecological farming helps countries reach biodiversity targets

With the 2024 United Nations Biodiversity Conference, or COP16, kicking off in Cali, Colombia, this week, the host country Colombia offers an inspiring example of how agroecology can be a powerful pathway for governments to achieve their biodiversity targets while also moving closer to multiple Sustainable Development Goals, including those related to hunger, poverty, health, inequality, and climate change. The country’s decision to introduce a new policy aimed at strengthening agroecology, an integrated approach that aims to simultaneously feed populations, conserve nature, and strengthen communities, in agriculture and the national food system at large, and the inclusion of agroecology in its new National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, or NBSAP, illustrate the strong political momentum that is building for agroecology around the world. Global momentum for agroecology Countries including Brazil, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Mexico, Senegal, Tanzania, and Vietnam have all already launched or renewed agroecology-related policies and strategies. As of August 2024, nine of the 13 NBSAPs submitted to the Convention on Biological Diversity since COP15 include agroecology as an approach, while some incorporate it into specific goals. With 85% of countries still developing or updating their NBSAPs, policymakers have a window of opportunity to integrate agroecological principles and practices into their commitments and plans. To assist countries with this process, a coalition of leading organizations working on food systems and biodiversity has developed a practical tool for integrating agroecological principles and interventions into NBSAPs. “Boosting Biodiversity Action through Agroecology” provides detailed guidance and practical steps based on the 13 principles and 10 elements of agroecology, including circularity, social and gender equity, economic diversification and soil health, which aims to simultaneously feed people, restore nature, and strengthen communities. Why agroecology? Food systems and biodiversity are inextricably intertwined, and many targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework, or GBF, will only be met with radical food system transformation. With their heavy reliance on fossil fuels and chemical inputs, agrifood systems threaten 86% of the world’s 28,000 endangered wildlife species, produce an estimated $35 billion of hidden costs per day related to pollution, water use, undernourishment, and more, and drive nearly one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions. “Historically marginalized communities have embraced the [agroecology] movement for more equality and autonomy.” --— By promoting ecological farming practices and transitioning away from the use of polluting synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, agroecology can help halt and reverse biodiversity loss. Target 10 of the GBF — which aims at enhancing biodiversity and sustainability in agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, and forestry — recognizes agroecology as a key approach to meet this objective. Agroecology’s focus on the whole food system, rather than simply production, and on social equity — including respect for the knowledge and cultural norms of Indigenous communities that help nurture and protect so much of our biodiversity — also gives it a broad development reach that aligns with the GBF. An example of how agroecology is implemented on the ground is Peru’s Potato Park, where six Quechua communities are cultivating and preserving over 1,300 different types of potatoes, helping to pass down local knowledge and traditions while supporting their livelihoods. The fact that agroecology has such strong and growing support from small-scale farmers, pastoralists, and animal keepers across the globe — as seen at Colombia’s recent Peasants’ Summit — demonstrates how historically marginalized communities have embraced the movement for more equality and autonomy. Agroecology needs an enabling environment To ensure that agroecological approaches are widely taken up and deliver their full potential for sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity, strengthened financing models are essential. This means not only increasing funding flows but also addressing issues of injustice, historical legacies, and ecological debt that shape financing institutions, flows, and arrangements. Increasing institutional capacity for designing, implementing, and monitoring NBSAPs is another key lever for ensuring that these plans actually deliver on biodiversity goals. In practice, this means strong institutions, skilled personnel, and the right tools and methodologies to plan and execute comprehensive biodiversity strategies that include food systems transformation commitments. For example, developing public support and incentives to transition away from fossil fuel-based inputs to biological alternatives and ecological practices will support soil fertility and plant growth by stimulating natural nutrient cycles without harming biodiversity. These strategies can also support the capacity building of different players using, producing, and regulating these biological alternatives, e.g., small and medium enterprises producing bio-inputs, farmers, and governmental authorities). Inclusive processes are equally important, ensuring that all food system players — including producers, suppliers, consumers, and Indigenous people, as well as financial institutions — are actively involved in the design and implementation of countries’ NBSAPs. It’s time for action While previous COPs have laid the groundwork for tackling the biodiversity crisis, COP16 is focused on action — and rightly so. As policymakers strive to implement the Global Biodiversity Framework, agroecology offers a chance to accelerate their efforts while also delivering a slew of social, economic, and environmental co-benefits. Colombia is seizing this opportunity and so should others. Tackling biodiversity, climate, and ecological collapse requires a laser focus on transforming food systems — from production to consumption — and now is the moment to do so.