Abstract:

Background: Agro-biodiversity is one of the most important issues under the Convention on Biological Diversity (hereinafter as the Convention), and it is of practical significance to global food security, sustainable development of agriculture and realization of carbon neutrality. However, research has shown that due to the continuous population growth and fundamental changes in dietary structure, continued expansion of agriculture has become one of the principal drivers of biodiversity loss.
Content: This paper systematically reviews the development and processes of the main negotiating topics of agro-biodiversity through a comprehensive analysis of the provisions of the Convention, the decisions and recommendations of previous Conferences of Parties (from COP2 to COP14), the assessment report of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the Global Biodiversity Outlook 5 (GBO-5) published by the United Nations Environment Programme and Convention on Biological Diversity, the consultation on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, and the progress of convention performing on agro-biodiversity. In light of this review, we provide an analysis of the global challenges of agro-biodiversity and recommendations to meet those challenges.
Achievements: This paper describes a comprehensive overview of the decisions and recommendations from COP2 to COP14, and assesses the qualitative and quantitative indicators related to Goal 9 of the “Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework”. The topic of agricultural biodiversity is thoroughly analyzed across scales, from broad goals to concrete examples. These span the initial “genetic resources” to “protection and sustainable utilization”, and involve multi-dimensional topics, such as soil, pollination, trade, energy, nutrition and health. On the premise of ensuring national food security, this paper shows that China has actively participated in the implementation of agricultural biodiversity and achieved positive results.
Recommendation: In light of continued challenges in agro-biodiversity, the following reasonable suggestions are developed for the improvement of agricultural biodiversity in China. (1) Studying the agro-biodiversity indicators in more depth, taking into account the reality of global development and promoting the implementation required and optional solutions. (2) Taking advantage of nature-based solutions (NbS) to solve the problems of agro-biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation in a coordinated way. (3) Keeping in step with the international performance trend, and building multilateral partnerships to achieve the green and sustainable agricultural development. (4) Encouraging the integration of agro-biodiversity protection into enterprise development plans to promote the participation of all stakeholders. These findings and suggestions will contribute to the maintenance of agricultural stability and food security, and lay a foundation for the success and outcome of the Fifteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Convention (COP15).

Key words: targets of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, indicator, COP decision, stakeholders, Nature based Solution