Decision COP III/11
UNEP/CBD/COP/DEC/III/11
Conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biological diversity
Welcoming the outcome of the fourth International Technical Conference on the Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, held in June 1996 in Leipzig, and taking note of the follow-up process agreed in Leipzig and of the periodic updating of the report on the State of the World's Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and the Global Plan of Action for the Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, as well as the implementation of the Global Plan of Action,
Believing that the field of agriculture offers a unique opportunity for the Convention on Biological Diversity to link concerns regarding biological diversity conservation and sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources with the mainstream economy, taking into account the need for a balanced development of the three objectives of the Convention,
Further recognizing agricultural biological diversity as a focal area in view of its social and economic relevance and the prospects offered by sustainable agriculture for reducing the negative impacts on biological diversity, enhancing the value of biological diversity and linking conservation efforts with social and economic benefits,
Urging Parties to establish or maintain means to regulate, manage or control the risks associated with the use and release of living modified organisms resulting from biotechnology which are likely to have adverse environmental impacts that could affect the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, taking also into account the risks to human health,
Considering that its activities in this field relating to the implementation of Article 6 (b) of the Convention should focus on the interface between agricultural sustainability and environmental issues and should promote the integration of social, economic and environmental objectives and facilitate the development of solutions to problems relating to agricultural biological diversity in the context of the Convention's provisions,
Further considering that the contributions of conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biological diversity to sustainable agriculture should be a key focal area within the context of terrestrial, freshwater and marine biological diversity, to be pursued in collaboration with, and with the cooperation and initiative of, relevant international organizations thus avoiding duplication,
1. Decides to establish a multi-year programme of activities on agricultural biological diversity aiming, first, to promote the positive effects and mitigate the negative impacts of agricultural practices on biological diversity in agro-ecosystems and their interface with other ecosystems; second, to promote the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources of actual or potential value for food and agriculture; and third, to promote the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources; and which, in support of the implementation of ongoing or the initiation of new policies, programmes and plans in the field of agrobiodiversity, will have the following components:
2. Requests the Executive Secretary to invite the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, in close collaboration with other relevant United Nations bodies and regional and international organizations, to identify and assess relevant ongoing activities and existing instruments at the international level, choosing among the thematic areas in the indicative list in Annex 2. The results should be reported back on a phased basis to the Conference of the Parties through the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice;
3. Welcomes the offer by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to continue serving countries in implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity in the area of agricultural biological diversity, and, referring to its earlier decisions, underlines the necessity of avoiding any duplication of work with respect to the activities being undertaken by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in this programme of work;
7. Requests the Executive Secretary, in close collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, as appropriate, to report the results, together with advice from the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, of the above initiatives as a basis for setting priorities by the Conference of the Parties for further work within this programme of work using as criteria, inter alia:
8. Requests that the clearing-house mechanism be used to promote and facilitate the development and transfer of technology relevant to the conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biological diversity by facilitating contacts among:
9. Encourages the Parties, in accordance with decision I/2 of the Conference of the Parties, to use and/or study and develop methods and indicators to monitor the impacts of agricultural development projects, including the intensification and extensification of production systems, on biological diversity and to promote their application;
13. Recognizes that the successful implementation of policies aiming at the sustainable use of agrobiodiversity components largely depends on the degree of public awareness and understanding of its basic importance for society, and recommends Parties to establish or enhance mechanisms for information and education, including the use of the clearing-house mechanism, specific to groups of concern at national, regional and international levels;
14. Endorses the conclusions of the relevant sections of the 1995 Commission on Sustainable Development sectoral review of Agenda 21, which, inter alia, recognized the need for an integrated and multidisciplinary approach to the planning, development and management of land resources, and that the achievement of the multiple objectives related to sustainable agriculture and rural development requires a whole system approach that recognizes that it is not possible to focus on agricultural activities alone;
15. Encourages Parties to develop national strategies, programmes and plans which, inter alia:
(a) Identify key components of biological diversity in agricultural production systems responsible for maintaining natural processes and cycles, monitoring and evaluating the effects of different agricultural practices and technologies on those components and encouraging the adoption of repairing practices to attain appropriate levels of biological diversity;
(d) Implement targeted incentive measures which have positive impacts on agrobiodiversity, in order to enhance sustainable agriculture, in accordance with Article 11 and consistent with Article 22, as well as to undertake impact assessments in order to minimize adverse impacts on agrobiodiversity, in accordance with Article 14;
(e) Encourage the development of technologies and farming practices that not only increase productivity, but also arrest degradation as well as reclaim, rehabilitate, restore and enhance biological diversity and monitor adverse effects on sustainable agricultural biodiversity. These could include, inter alia, organic farming, integrated pest management, biological control, no-till agriculture, multi-cropping, inter-cropping, crop rotation and agricultural forestry;
(i) Promote partnerships with researchers, extension workers and farmers in research and development programmes for biological diversity conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity in agriculture. To achieve this, countries should be encouraged to set up and maintain local level forums for farmers, researchers, extension workers and other stakeholders to evolve genuine partnerships;
(k) Promote research into, and development and implementation of, integrated pest management strategies, in particular, methods and practices alternative to the use of agro-chemicals, that maintain biodiversity, enhance agro-ecosystem resilience, maintain soil and water quality and do not affect human health;
(m) Study, use and/or develop, in accordance with decision I/2, methods and indicators to monitor the impacts of agricultural development projects on biological diversity, including intensification and extensification, of production systems on biological diversity, and to promote their application;
16. Encourages Parties to develop national strategies, programmes and plans, which should focus on, inter alia:
(a) The key elements of the Global Plan of Action, such as broadening the genetic base of major crops; increasing the range of genetic diversity available to farmers; strengthening the capacity to develop new crops and varieties that are specifically adapted to local environments; exploring and promoting the use of underutilized crops; and deploying genetic diversity to reduce crop vulnerability;
17. Encourages Parties at the appropriate level, with the support of the relevant international and regional organizations, to promote:
(c) Mobilization of farming communities including indigenous and local communities for the development, maintenance and use of their knowledge and practices in the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity in the agricultural sector with specific reference to gender roles;
18. Notes that the various options for the legal status of a revised International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources, which include a voluntary agreement, binding instrument, or protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity, have not been decided upon by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, requests the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to inform the Conference of the Parties of its deliberations, affirms its willingness to consider a decision by the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations that the International Undertaking should take the form of a protocol to this Convention once revised in harmony with this Convention and further requests the Executive Secretary to inform the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture accordingly;
19. Welcomes the contribution that the Global Plan of Action for the Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources, as adopted by the fourth International Technical Conference on Plant Genetic Resources, provides to the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity in the field of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture and encourages Parties actively to implement the Global Plan of Action, in accordance with their national capacities, and endorses its priorities and policy recommendations; recognizes that several issues require further work in the context of the FAO Global System for the Conservation and Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, in particular: financing; the realization of Farmers' Rights as discussed in the Global Plan of Action; as well as terms of technology transfer to developing countries and access and benefit-sharing arrangements, in accordance with relevant provisions of the Convention. In this regard, calls for effective and speedy completion of the revision of the International Undertaking and strengthening of the FAO Global System;
21. Draws the attention of Parties to Article 20.1 of the Convention, in the context of providing, in accordance with their capabilities, financial support and incentives for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity important to agriculture in accordance with national plans, priorities and programmes;
22. Draws the attention of international funding agencies to the urgent need to support the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity important to agriculture and invites these agencies to provide information and feedback in this respect to the Conference of the Parties and in this context, requests the interim financial mechanism to give priority to supporting efforts for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity important to agriculture in accordance with this decision;
23. Encourages the United Nations Environment Programme/Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations process developed by the Intergovernmental Committee negotiating an international binding instrument for the application of the prior informed consent procedure on hazardous chemical substances, including pesticides;
24. Recalls paragraph 39 (g) from the World Food Summit Plan of Action and encourages the World Trade Organization through its Committee on Trade and Environment, in collaboration with other relevant organizations, to consider developing a better appreciation of the relationship between trade and agricultural biodiversity and, in this consideration, recommends the collaboration with the Convention on Biological Diversity and requests the Executive Secretary to convey this request to the World Trade Organization.
- Body
- Conference of the Parties (COP)
- Meeting
- COP-034 - 15 November, 1996Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Elements of decision
- 56 53 Operational 3 Informational
- 80 16 Implemented 27 Retired 14 Superseded 22 Active 1 Elapsed
- Actors
- 41 6 Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity 30 Parties 1 SBSTTA 2 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 1 United Nations Environment Programme 1 World Trade Organization
- Subjects
- 172 56 Agricultural Biodiversity 56 Sustainable Use of Biodiversity 5 Clearing-House Mechanism 1 Indicators 19 Traditional Knowledge, Innovations and Practices 15 Marine and Coastal Biodiversity 15 Indigenous peoples and local communities 4 Planning 1 Financial Mechanism and Resources Mobilization
- Decision document
- III/11Conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biological diversity
- Related documents
- UNEP/CBD/COP/4/6UNEP/CBD/COP/7/INF/16UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/2/INF/15UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/3/INF/9UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/5/INF/10
- Related decisions / recommendations