In December 2022, negotiators from the parties to the convention on biological diversity (CBD) set (in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) an ambitious agenda for the World by 2030, by adopting the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (K-M GBF). K-M GBF set four goals and 23 targets aiming at reducing the threats to biodiversity and meeting people’s needs through sustainable use of biodiversity and sharing benefits resulting from the utilization of genetic resources, while keeping in mind tools and solutions for the implementation of the framework and mainstreaming biodiversity within and across sectors. Scientific research plays a critical role in developing innovations and technologies much needed to protect, enhance and restore biodiversity as well as ecosystem functions and services. Importantly, effective implementation of the K-M GBF requires action from the whole of the society through involving all landscape actors and taking in account the 17 UN sustainable development goals to strike the right balance for social ecological resilience, particularly in the current context of biodiversity loss, climate change, and ecosystem degradation. Agroecosystem living labs (ALLs) embrace the principle of co-creation through action research to co-develop solutions to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem gains to sustainably transform food, land and water systems by ensuring agricultural productivity, environmental sustainability, economic viability, and social inclusion. As such, ALLs represent a unique opportunity to showcase the implementation of the K-M GBF at landscape scale, for most of the targets.
Objectives of the side event
This side event showcases the experience of ALLs in contrasting environments, including developed and developing countries, for the co-creation of site-specific scientific evidence in support of mainstreaming biodiversity in food, land and water systems. Using examples from North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America, speakers will show how participatory agriculture and agri-food research offers a strong foundation for the operationalization of the K-M GBF. In addition to researchers, the side event also involves speakers from various sectors including business, policy, financing institutions, farmer organizations, indigenous people and local communities, women and youth, and the civil society among others.
The specific objectives include mainly: (1) creating Party awareness of the critical role of scientific evidence co-created in the context of ALLs to inform the effective implementation of the K-M GBF; (2) offering an opportunity for subsequent capacity sharing at global, regional and national levels during the implementation of the K-M GBF and related national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs); and (3) sharing examples of innovations and technologies co-developed in selected ALLs and which are promising and could be transferred to other geographies for cross-validation and adaptation, as applicable, to deliver on the KM GBF.
Expected outcomes
1. Awareness creation on the critical need for collective actions (the whole of society) for the implementation of the KM-GBF and adoption of use-cases (ALLs) for collection of scientific evidence to document the performance of interventions and inform adjustment measures based on proven gaps
2. Enhanced visibility of the informal network of ALLs for further opportunities of capacity and experience sharing as well as collaborative actions to support the effective implementation of the KM-GBF by providing scientific evidence from use-cases (ALLs)
3. Enhanced visibility of technical and social innovations from use cases (ALLs) that could be integrated in the regional and global cooperation mechanisms to optimize the implementation of the KM-GBF at the global scale, and the national biodiversity strategies and action plans at national levels.
Rhiannon is the coordinator of the CGIAR Environmental Health and Biodiversity Impact Platform. A biologist with a PhD in rare plant restoration genetics, she has worked at CGIAR for nine years on banana germplasm evaluation and banana-based farming systems, proposal development, and management of the regional integrated initiative for Central and West Asia and North Africa.
With education in veterinary sciences (doctorate), nutrition (MSc), public health (MSc) and development geography (PhD), Patrick Caron is specialist of food systems, with focus on controversy analysis and multi-scale governance.
He is Director of the Montpellier Advanced Knowledge Institute on Transitions, Chair of Agropolis International, Vice-Chair of the CGIAR System Board.
Marcela Quintero is the Associate Director General, Research Strategy, and Innovation at the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). With 20 years of strong track record of building and leading teams focused on multidisciplinary agricultural research for development, has spent much of her career working with diverse disciplinary teams to investigate landscape and farm level interventions to deliver multiple benefits for the people and the planet.
Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead on Ecosystem Health and Biodiversity in the Natural Resources and Resilience Unit, International Food Policy Research Institute. She co-leads the CGIAR Research Initiative “Low-Emission Food Systems (Mitigate+) and directs the “Living Labs for People” Work Package.
Deputy Director for Research and Strategy at the Centre International de Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad, Montpellier, France). He has served in multiple key positions at different levels of the science policy continuum: as an academic recognized for research in the Science and Technology Study field on global governance of genetic resources; as a knowledge broker (head of the biodiversity Programme in a think tank (IDDRI, Paris); member of the capacity building task force of IPBES; member of the first international external evaluation panel of IPBES); and as a policy expert, working for an International Treaty at FAO.
Senior Policy Analyst in the Resilient Agriculture Policy Division at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, where she has worked since 2019.
Her work focuses on biodiversity policy and supporting ecosystem health across the Canadian agricultural landscape. Karen grew up on a farm in the Canadian province of Quebec and loves to spend time with her family in the great outdoors
Chaturangi is a Researcher in Freshwater Ecology at the International Water Management Institute at its Headquarters in Sri Lanka. She has over a decade of experience working in the field of sustainable natural resource management. At IWMI, she leads multiple projects on wetland conservation and contributes to a range of multidisciplinary research initiatives focused on promoting nexus gains across water, energy, food and ecosystems, advancing agroecological transformation across food systems and enhancing sustainable small-scale inland aquaculture production.
Works for CGIAR as the Director of the Impact Area Platform on Environmental Health and Biodiversity. Before joining One CGIAR, he was working for the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in the natural resource management program. He also worked for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, in sustainable soil management (postdoctoral fellow) and the Fertilizer Section (efficacy evaluator), respectively.
Karina Gonçalves David is an agroforestry organic farmer in Brazil working towards achieving gender equity. She is the co-founder of ProNobis Agroflorestal, a life project that involves food production in agroforestry systems, marketing at local fairs, facilitating courses, consultancies and lectures in various topics of interest. At the local level, she is a part of the Participatory Guarantee System of the Ecovida Network.
is an agronomist and engineer with a master's degree in territory, conflict, and culture. He has over 15 years of experience in environmental management processes, territorial planning and governance, agroecology, sustainable rural development, education and alternative pedagogies. He has contributed to the development of social research on socio-environmental conflicts, territorial socioeconomic dynamics, and the implementation of the peace agreement in Colombia.
Senior Agriculture Economist in the Global Engagement Unit of the World Bank Global Department for Agriculture and Food. He is currently leading the preparation of the World Bank 2025 Biodiversity in Agriculture Flagship Report, in close collaboration with CGIAR. He joined the World Bank in 2008 and has extensive field experience since 1991 in natural resource management investment projects funded by the World Bank and other international financial institutions in Eastern and Southern Africa, Europe and Central Asia, Asia and the Pacific and holds an M.Sc. in Agricultural Economics from Wye College, London University.
Senior Natural Resources Officer at the Office of Climate, Biodiversity and Environment (OCB) at FAO. Frédéric Castell has been working for twenty years on the links between biodiversity conservation and sustainable agriculture. He has supported the development of policies and projects in different countries, including Gambia, Madagascar, Vietnam, and France as well as for the public service, research institutions, development agencies and NGOs. After being advisor to the Deputy Director General, Climate and Natural Resources of FAO over the last 8 years, in his current role Frédéric oversees and coordinates the implementation of the biodiversity strategy to mainstream biodiversity across agricultural sectors.
