Key insights Network Briefing COP16 & Food Systems

Building on Momentum

Oliver Camp, Environment and Food Systems Advisor at GAIN, opened the session by highlighting the growing momentum within the food systems community. He emphasised that this energy stems from earlier successes, such as the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) at COP15, the UN General Assembly, and the recent Climate Week in New York. Oliver pointed out that the triple COP year offers a unique opportunity to underscore the interconnectedness of food systems. He stressed that food systems, when strategically invested in, provide co-benefits across multiple domains and can serve as a unifying force among these global processes. Camp also provided insight into two key opportunities for the community at COP16. The first is in advancing the Global Biodiversity Framework, with a focus on integrating food systems into the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs). Calling also on the community to mobilise knowledge to support countries in this integration. Secondly, he underscored the community’s responsibility to uphold the $25 billion commitment to biodiversity financing, a target that remains unmet. Addressing this shortfall will be critical for global biodiversity efforts, and Camp emphasised that food systems offer multiple benefits—from climate resilience to socio-economic development—making them a valuable area for investment.

Food Systems in the COP16 programme

When it comes to the official negotiations, Sanne Kruid, Senior Policy Officer International Biodiversity at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature, noted the many potential connections with food systems, even though they are not formally part of the negotiation agenda. She specifically highlighted the attention for biodiversity mainstreaming and the negotiations on the indicators to monitor and review the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework. Sanne also pointed to opportunities on the sidelines of the formal negotiations, highlighting the FAO’s Food Day on October 28th and also the opportunities to engage with high level representatives of the Dutch Delegation attending the COP, specifically mentioning the State Secretary, Water Envoy, the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations Organisations in Rome and two youth representatives.

Ivo Walsmit, Thematic Expert Biodiversity at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, building on the insights from Sanne, stressed the importance of mainstreaming biodiversity into other vital areas like food security, water, and climate change. Which is also required as biodiversity does not receive a dedicated budget, but is funded and addressed through programmes in the other areas. Ivo also pointed to the need to address the major role of agriculture and livestock in driving biodiversity loss to achieve positive biodiversity outcomes. He advocated for and points to the opportunity to work with each other and share good examples on systems approaches that integrate food systems with nature-positive solutions, a theme that will carry into COP16 preparations.

Focused on the activities at the Dutch Pavilion (1 of 30 Pavilions hosted at the COP16), Liliane Geerlings, Programme Coordinator at Partners for Water, shared an update on the key food system related activities that will be taking place there. While the full session outline is not yet available, Liliane could already share that a few sessions have a very clear connection with food systems where many more have a more indirect relation to food and agriculture.Therefore, providing a great space for learning with each other and sharing on the nexus of biodiversity, water and food (or agriculture). Liliane shared that more information will be shared on their website as soon as available.

Reflections from the participants

The discussions following the presentations highlighted a clear need within the community to improve access to and sharing of information related to COP16 activities. Participants expressed concerns about the difficulty of staying informed, as details on upcoming activities are trickling in slowly or are not readily accessible. Given the volume of events, it was emphasised that the community has a collective responsibility to support each other in finding and sharing relevant insights and updates.
Several ideas and resources were suggested to improve communication:

• Liliane shared that they are looking into using a specific hashtag for the Dutch Pavilion to support information sharing within the broader community

• A resource shared by Oliver is the Non-State Actors Call the Action for Transforming Food Systems for People, Nature, and Climate

• Oliver mentioned the whatsapp group he is hosting about food systems and COP16

• Oliver Camp’s WhatsApp group and NFP Connects can serve as key platforms for sharing updates within the community

A forward-looking question also touched on agenda-setting opportunities for future COPs. Sanne noted that the agenda for the next COP will be determined by the multi-year program of work, offering the community a chance to influence this process. She also pointed out that COP17 already has an agenda item on biodiversity and agriculture. However, Sanne emphasised that influencing these discussions will require active participation in the negotiations and building strong relationships with the upcoming COP presidency, which is no easy feat.

Food System Community Activities

Several participants in the session were also requested to share a rapid fire pitch about their food systems activities at the COP. Here a quick recap of what was shared:

• Nature’s Pride, a supplier of exotic fruits and vegetables represented by Coen van Iwaarden, shared that they will be focusing on how we as a community can work to set new rules for procurement that promotes sustainability in the country of origin, focusing in particular on the value chains around importing exotic fruit and vegetables;

• SNV, a mission-driven global development partner represented by Harko Koster, shared that their activities will focus on the following themes: 1) finance for biodiversity, related to several events that will take place at COP16 and 2) sustainable livestock practices for biodiversity (an invitation only event, but when interested Harko welcomed invitation requests);

• PBL, the Dutch Environmental Assessment Agency represented by Katie Minderhoud, shared their activities will focus on 1) the stocktake on the global biodiversity framework and what it takes to bring that into practice and 2) hosting a session on bridging biodiversity and food systems together with the Netherlands Food Partnership;

• Metabolic, an ecosystem of different organisations working towards transforming the regional economy represented by Antoine Coudard, shared that at the COP together they will focus on topics such as: 1) guard rails for nature related financing, 2) bioregional transition funds and 3) trying to move the needle from measurement to transformation;

• Commonland, a not-for profit organisation that focuses on restoring degraded landscapes at great scale represented by Victoria Guiterrez, shared that their focus will be on 1) launching new policy brief on landscape finance, 2) discussions on the insights and issues that come out from that publication, 3) and the intersection of biodiversity, water and food systems;

• CGIAR: represented by the Alliance Bioversity International - CIAT, shared their activities on the Alliance Campus, a partners and founder event on 26 October (to be announced soon), and the CGIAR Food Pavilion (programme will also soon be announced);

• Montpellier Process, a collectively owned space with the aim to demonstrate more effective and better connected science-policy interfaces across scales and sectors that are multi-actor and are currently looking at food systems as a cross cutting theme that impacts climate, agriculture and food, and environment, represented by Amanda Harding, shared that they will host six different connected events happening throughout the COP.

How to stay up to date?

• Information on the Dutch Pavilion

• Information on FAO activities at COP16

• Oliver Camps’ Whatsapp group Food Systems & COP16

• NFP Living document: Food Systems & COP16

• Information on CGIAR activities & Food Pavilion at COP16