Last 21 September, alongside the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA78) and Climate Week NYC, the World Climate Foundation organised the 2023 World Biodiversity Summit. 

World Biodiversity Summit’s overall objective is to build strong cross-sector coalitions to facilitate the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and the Paris Agreement, identifying the strong synergies between climate and biodiversity goals to advance ahead of COP28 and COP16. 

The 2023 Summit program has been designed to transform visions into solutions-oriented partnerships and to convert biodiversity protection goals into concrete action for living in harmony with nature.  

The main focuses of WBS2023 were: 

  • Helping businesses, financial institutions and policymakers to successfully implement the GBF by assisting them in understanding their roles and responsibilities. 
  • Creating and promoting new coalitions focused on achieving a nature-positive, regenerative economy while limiting global warming to 1.5ºC and meeting GBF targets. 
  • Identifying nature markets to close the nature finance gap, such as supporting Nature-based Solutions that have the potential to counter climate change and biodiversity loss. 

The President of the World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO), Mr Arnold Puech d’Alissac, brought the global farmer’ voice into the debate, addressing the session: “Back to Basics – Advancing Sustainable Agriculture and Resilient Food Systems”.   

The aim of the session was to define regenerative practices in food systems and explore how they could serve as a solution, examining solutions across policy, technology, and finance that could help restore the delicate balance between human activity and the natural world. 

Opened by the Keynote of Mr Alvaro Lario, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and moderated by Britt Groosman Vice President of Climate-Smart Agriculture at Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the event involved esteemed speakers such as our  President, Mr Arnold Puech D’Alissac, Ms Jane Ewing, Senior Vice President for the Walmart Sustainability Strategy, Ms Darci Vette, Head of Public Head of Global Public Policy at PepsiCo, and Mr Kaveh Zahedi, Director of the FAO Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and the Environment (OCB – FAO). 

The President of the World Farmers’ Organisation emphasized the vital role sustainable agriculture plays in tackling climate change and safeguarding biodiversity. He stressed the need of recognising and supporting farmers who adopt nature-positive farming practices, covering environmental stewardship costs. 

In closing, Mr Arnold Puech d’Alissac remarked that achieving positive climate and environmental outcomes entails responsibility redistribution across the food systems value chain. 

Farmers worldwide recognize the significance of mainstreaming biodiversity and ecosystem services in agriculture. They are ready to collaborate with governments, the private sector and NGOs “to build a more sustainable, resilient, fair and equitable future for the people and the planet.”