Building Blocks for a Shared Narrative on Biodiversity and Food Systems: UNCBD COP16 Event Recap
This recap shares highlights from a recent dialogue session held at the UNCBD COP16 in Cali, Colombia. The session was co-hosted by the Netherlands Food Partnership (NFP) and the PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) at the NL Pavilion in the Blue Zone. It brought together experts from science, policy, and practice to discuss a key challenge: how to better connect biodiversity and food systems.
The integration of biodiversity into food systems is a critical challenge that requires urgent attention. Despite ongoing efforts, progress has been limited, and this impacts both ecosystem health and food security. There is a need to better understand and address the barriers that prevent meaningful change. Using a landscape approach and focusing on a plural value perspective, the session aimed to find building blocks for a narrative that can help narrow down this gap.
Here, we share the main outcomes to encourage more joint action toward building resilient and sustainable food systems.
Key Contributors to the Session:
The session featured insights from leading voices in biodiversity, environmental health, and sustainable food systems:
- Marcel Beukeboom - Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations Organizations in Rome (FAO, WFP, IFAD)
- Cargele Masso - Director of the Impact Area Platform on Environmental Health and Biodiversity, CGIAR
- Maria Clara van der Hammen - Project Coordinator, Tropenbos Colombia
- Stef de Haan - Senior Scientist, Andean Food Systems at the International Potato Center (CIP), CGIAR
- Willem Ferwerda - Founder, Commonland Foundation
- Nancy Rapando - Africa’s Food Future Lead, WWF-Kenya
- Ivo Walsmit - Thematic Expert on Biodiversity, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs
We’d like to thank Amanda Harding, Leading Convene, for her skilled facilitation, which helped make the dialogue meaningful. We also very much appreciate the valuable (and actually crucial) insights and experiences shared by everyone who joined us in the room. Of course we also thank Partners for Water, as hosts of the NL Pavilion to provide us the space to host this session at the COP.
Follow up
At the Netherlands Food Partnership, were committed to initiating, building and supporting impactful partnerships. To make real progress, we need your insights and perspectives on both the challenges and opportunities youre encountering. Lets continue this conversation in the comments & reach out if youd like to connect with us, share your experiences, or explore ways to collaborate on bridging the gap between biodiversity and food systems. Together, we can drive sustainable impact for people and planet.
Authors
Mariëlle Karssenberg
Knowledge Broker - Netherlands Food Partnership
Katie Minderhoud
Researcher Landscape and Biodiversity at the Dutch Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL)
There are no contributions yet, be the first to contribute
Be the first to contribute, login or create an account
Sign up