Rome, Italy
February 18, 2008
“Biodiversity is vital for human
survival and livelihoods; we need to conserve it for future
generations. At the same time, the unacceptable scale of hunger
and rural poverty in our small planet calls for urgent remedial
action,” FAO Deputy
Director-General James G. Butler said today. He was addressing
the opening session of the thirteenth meeting of the Subsidiary
Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice of the
Convention on Biological Diversity (18-22 February 2008).
Ultimately, at the global level, this event – which involves
FAO, the Convention on Biological Diversity and their partners –
is aimed at meeting the challenges of sustainable agricultural
production to ensure food security for all peoples, “especially
the rural poor – often the managers and custodians of our
biodiversity,” as Mr. Butler put it.
The Rome meeting focuses on the implementation of the programmes
of work on agricultural biodiversity and forest biodiversity;
the application of sustainable use principles and guidelines to
agricultural biodiversity; the linkages between agricultural
biodiversity and climate change; marine, coastal and inland
water ecosystems biodiversity; invasive alien species; and other
scientific and technical issues.
“Mainstreaming biodiversity into the food and agriculture,
livestock fisheries and forestry sectors will be critical to
provide humankind with opportunities for increasing food
availability and stability while maintaining a healthy natural
capital for future generations,” Mr. Butler said.
More than 40 percent of the land's surface is used for
agriculture, placing a large responsibility on farmers to
protect biodiversity. “Well managed production systems will
supply a better balance of ecosystem services from agriculture;
meeting society’s demands for improving livelihoods as well as
the environment,” according to FAO’s Deputy Director-General.
Mr. Butler also said that “understanding the positive linkages –
often forgotten or underestimated – between the production
sectors and biodiversity is essential towards achieving
universal right to food and sustainable development.”
“The conservation and sustainable management of our natural
capital are critical elements towards the attainment of
international development and environmental objectives such as
Target 2010 and the Millennium Development Goals,” he added.
Climate change
Mr. Butler stressed the need to foster international cooperation
with regard to emerging new complex challenges for food and
agriculture, such as climate change. In this respect, FAO looks
forward for the participation of the Convention on Biological
Diversity at the High Level Conference on World Food Security
and the Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy, to be held
at the UN agency's Rome headquarters from 3-5 June 2008.
A series of initiatives have been launched by FAO in preparation
for the June conference with a special effort to assist
countries vulnerable to climate change to enhance their
capacities to confront the negative impacts of climate
variability and change on agriculture. This is done in
consultation with members of the secretariat and subsidiary
bodies of the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and other
organizations.
A number of side events on biodiversity and climate change are
scheduled during the thirteenth meeting of the Subsidiary Body
on Scientific and Technological Advice of the Convention on
Biological Diversity.
The recommendations of the Rome gathering will be presented to
the ninth meeting of the
Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological
Diversity which meets in Bonn, Germany, from 19 to 30 May
2008.
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