Indicate which actions have been carried out to implement this Resolution :
Capacity-building
Convene stakeholders/Networking
Education/Communication/Raising awareness
Field activities
Fundraising
Policy influencing/advocacy
Scientific/technical activities
Describe the results/achievements of the actions taken:
• Launch and finalisation of the Agriculture and Land health initiative.
• Creation of a dedicated agriculture team in 2023 (first time in IUCN history) which has gained importance and influence. Renamed food and agriculture and systems team in 2024 with the appointment of the Head of the team, Pascale Bonzom.
• Improve information delivery: website updated, increased presence on social media, increased IUCN presence in international fora on this issue (especially Climate COP, Biodiversity COPs and UNCCD COP), publication in 2020 of the IUCN common ground report on agriculture/biodiversity, the NBS and agriculture report and the flagship report on agriculture in 2024. Ongoing studies on soils biodiversity, a legal review on sustainable agriculture policies, a study on agriculture and OECMs (to be published in 2025). The Global NBS standard guidance for agriculture and the land health monitoring framework have been tested in 2024 in 6 countries;
• Accelerate IUCN’s field actions and policy engagement: resources have been mobilized from a series of donors for field and policy engagement around sustainable water and land management that contributes to improved food systems, including from AFD, IKEA Foundation, Pernod-Ricard, Norad, FFF, Rockefeller Foundation for over EUR 15 M over the past 3 years;
• Invest in developing partnerships with key stakeholder groups: collaborations with FAO, IFAD, Coalitions on agroecology and on soils health and CGIAR;
• Promote land health and soil biodiversity in relevant policy fora: CBD COP16, UNCCD COP16, several multi-stakeholder meetings organized with the European Commission in relation to CAP reform and on sustainability indicators (with the EURO office);
• IUCN has also launched Common Ground Dialogues in 6 countries and 4 regions, with the aim to bridge the gap between agriculture and conservation actors, encourage convergence and collaborations on specific local/national or regional sustainability issues;
• Structure IUCN’s engagement on agriculture: update of the agriculture strategic orientations; implementation of activities (eg on soils) including IUCN Members and Commissions. Update of the mapping of agriculture projects and the competencies.
• IUCN EURO office is contributing to the framing of the Common agriculture policy, Farm to fork and biodiversity strategies, conducting studies on NBS and biodiversity indicators and facilitating dialogues with different partners on sustainable agriculture.
• IUCN MED Office contributing actively to our work on the land health monitoring framework, with encouraging conctacts being taken with SNV and the World Bank.
• The Isha Advocacy foundation is very active in promoting soil health, including through capacity building (11000 farmers trained), field work with farmers groups, networking, communication and awareness raising, reasearch (soil food web, symbiosis with plants, optimum fungal bacterial ratio...) and policy influencing through the promotion of natural farming in India in particular.
•The Coalition Clean Baltic is carrying out several awareness raising and policy influencing activities including collecting national inputs for a report on best examples of agri-environmental measures from Baltic EU Member States; taking action to promote organic agriculture among its members; providing input and advice on EU policies including the CAP and Green Deal.
• USAID active in promoting sustainable agriculture as part of its projects.
• Les Eco-Maires are active in event organisation and convening around biodiversity and land health in France.
- The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is collaborating with the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) through the Community Based Counter Wildlife Trafficking (CBCWT) project to provide technical support to farmers living in and around the Bili-Uere Hunting Domain to migrate from subsistence farming to sustainable agribusiness.
What challenges/obstacles have been encountered in the implementation of this Resolution and how were they overcome :
• IUCN capacities on sustainable agriculture are heterogenous according to countries and regions, although the work with 6 pilot countries has taken speed.
• Stock-taking on the lessons learnt from IUCN agriculture related projects in agriculture is still lacking.
• For some Commissions and IUCN Members, agriculture is still a sensitive topic and some do not yet see the value to engage constructively in this sector.
• Increased efforts are necessary to create synergies and mobilize IUCN Commissions and Members, including to gain a better sense of their contribution to the implementation of the resolution.
• For the Isha foundation, substantial funds are needed to operate model farms, conduct training and consistently handhold farmers. Actual transition to regenerative practices happens slowly over 2-3 years during which there is a lack of sustainable funding from the society at large.
Briefly describe what future actions are needed for the implementation of this Resolution:
- AWF will expand support for farmers through market linkages and business collaboration in the landscape (Field activities)
- IUCN to organise in 6 pilot countries a meeting with interested Members and partners on the implementation of the agriculture related resolutions, and raise awareness and interest i IUCN programme of work on agriculture. (Convene stakeholders)
- Isha foundation will continue to train, sensitize farmers and policy makers. Visit and document: 1000 Lead Farmers, 100 Expert Farmers, 50 Model Farms, 100 Farmer Success Stories. Raise funds from international and national donors.
Are these actions planned for yet:
