Abstract:

Backgrounds: Biodiversity is critical to support sustainable development and ecosystem stability. The Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity has repeatedly proposed goals and pathways for the conservation and sustainable use of global biodiversity. Despite numerous global actions, the trend of biodiversity loss has not been effectively curbed or reversed. With the approaching deadline of the “3030” global target under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, it is essential to mainstream biodiversity within the Chinese institutional contexts. In particular, the transformation of key economic sectors, such as the agricultural sector, toward sustainability and their role in fulfilling commitments are crucial for advancing the vision of “harmonious coexistence of humans and nature” by 2050. 

Results: Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (IAHS), as institutionalised protections of traditional agricultural systems, possess unique advantages in biodiversity conservation, ecological product development, and regional development coordination. These systems align closely with the objectives outlined in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which include reducing threats to biodiversity, meeting human needs through sustainable use and benefit-sharing, and promoting mainstreaming tools and solutions. As such, IAHS have the potential to drive a mainstreaming compliance model with Chinese characteristics. 

Perspectives: This study, based on the concepts of systematic conservation and adaptive management of IAHS, proposes specific tasks for mainstreaming biodiversity into agricultural sectors. These tasks include: (1) conducting biodiversity surveys, identifying key biodiversity areas, and recognising traditional agricultural ecological landscapes to promote in-situ biodiversity conservation; (2) promoting nature-friendly ecological agricultural models, exploring and utilising local traditional ecological knowledge, and integrating agricultural production standards with nature conservation goals to strengthen the mutualistic relationship between nature and humans; and (3) developing policy frameworks and evaluation procedures, establishing long-term dynamic monitoring networks, creating financial incentive mechanisms, and setting up special funds to further enhance institutional support for IAHS, thereby constructing implementation tools and solutions. In response to these specific tasks, the study proposes concrete compliance indicators for the agricultural sector, calling for enhanced collaboration between environmental and agricultural sectors.

Key words: biodiversity, Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (IAHS), traditional agricultural systems