COP16 Recap: New Fund, Indigenous Rights and Colombia’s Treaty Step

8 November 2024

The 16th UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16), hosted for the first time by Colombia from 21 October to 1 November 2024, marked a significant step forward in global biodiversity efforts. Leaders, policymakers, scientists, and advocates came together to advance the objectives of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF) adopted in 2022. Participants focused on biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration, and sustainable use of natural resources for the benefit of both planetary health and human well-being.

Central to COP16 was the exploration of National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) as roadmaps for countries to tailor biodiversity goals to country-specific contexts. A key milestone was achieved: the advancement of a multilateral framework for fair and equitable sharing of benefits derived from digital sequence information (DSA). 

Advancing Equity: The Cali Fund and Indigenous Empowerment Initiatives

Celebrations at the adoption of the new Program of Work on Article 8(j). Credit: UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

Two further milestones highlighted the commitment to benefit-sharing and Indigenous empowerment, especially concerning agrobiodiversity. The Cali Fund was established to promote fair and equitable sharing of benefits derived from digital sequence information (DSI). This requires commercial entities profiting from DSI to allocate a portion of earnings to support developing countries and Indigenous Peoples, with more than half of the funds designated to meet the needs of Indigenous communities, women and youth. 

A new Programme of Work was also adopted to increase involvement and influence of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in biodiversity governance. The Programme is designed to enhance their participation in policy-making and ensure their perspectives are central to implementing action towards achieving the Convention’s goals.

Colombia’s Commitment: Joining the International Plant Treaty

On the third day of COP16, Colombia announced the significant step of joining the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (International Plant Treaty. This move aligns Colombia with global efforts to protect crop diversity and demonstrates its dedication to conserving the full range of biodiversity on the planet. 

Kent Nnadozie, the Secretary of the International Treaty, noted that its ratification allows Colombia to create policies for the sustainable use of vital genetic resources that are crucial for global food security and climate change adaptation. 

By participating in the International Treaty’s Multilateral System of access and benefit-sharing, which includes over 2.4 million accessions of crop diversity, Colombia can expand its resources for crop research and breeding, advance agricultural innovation and reinforce its role in promoting global food security. 

The Crop Trust at COP16

The Crop Trust showcased its commitment to promoting agrobiodiversity conservation through its involvement in key events.

Parliamentary Breakfast and Live Discussions

Speakers at the Financial Times Live event, from left to right: Simon Mundy (Financial Times), Stefan Schmitz (Crop Trust), Katie Leach (Lloyds Banking Group), Ginya Truitt Nakata (The Nature Conservancy), Cargele Masso (CGIAR) and Juan Lucas Restrepo (The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT and CGIAR).  Credit: Crop Trust/Natalia Rodriguez

Partnering with CGIAR and the Financial Times, the Crop Trust hosted "Using Agricultural Innovation to Protect Biodiversity," a hybrid event on the CIAT campus in Cali. With over 1,000 virtual attendees and 50 in person, the session explored sustainable agriculture as a tool to combat biodiversity loss, climate change and land degradation. Discussions emphasized the vital role of genebanks in conserving and sustainably using crop diversity to bolster global food security.

The event opened with Stefan Schmitz, Executive Director of the Crop Trust, and featured a keynote from Martha Viviana Carvajalino, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Colombia. Minister Carvajalino highlighted the synergy between sustainable agricultural practices and ecosystem resilience. Panelists explored the potential of genebanks to support food systems while addressing global food crises, underscoring the importance of innovation and cross-border collaboration.

Panel on Food Systems and Agrobiodiversity: An Intercultural Approach

Panelists at the Colombian Pavilion. From left to right: Nora Castañeda (Crop Trust), Stef de Haan (CIP), Carolina Navarrete (CIAT), Maribel Palacio and Monica Yuncuna (Indigenous leaders) and Álvaro Toledo (International Plant Treaty). Credit: Crop Trust/Natalia Rodriguez

Held in a traditional maloca – an ancestral long house symbolizing community and cultural heritage – this panel showcased the intersection of policy, Indigenous knowledge, and scientific research as a solution to preserve crop diversity and ensure food security. The session again featured Colombia’s Minister Carvajalino, who detailed Colombia’s commitment to agrobiodiversity through policies that prioritize farmers and land rights, emphasizing the upcoming 2025 Year of Peasant, Family and Community Agriculture. Maribel Palacio, mother and Indigenous leader from the La Guajira region, shared insights on how integrating ancestral practices, native seed conservation and crop adaptation to local climates can enhance food sovereignty and environmental health.

"Promoting the issue of agrobiodiversity in the territory is what truly guarantees the flora and fauna. It is what truly guarantees the permanence of water flows, river flows, food and the direct promotion of food sovereignty," said Maribel Palacio.

Álvaro Toledo, Deputy Secretary of the International Plant Treaty, highlighted the political importance of crop diversity in global food security. He also said Colombia’s accession to the Treaty is a strategic step to advance farmers’ rights and equitable benefit-sharing. Stef de Haan, Senior Scientist at the International Potato Center (CIP) discussed how local people and scientists can work together to enhance nutrition, using the example of potatoes in Peru. Together, these discussions put in the spotlight intercultural approaches and collective action to safeguard agrobiodiversity for the future.

“From indigenous communities in the Amazon, to the city dwellers in Bogotá, we all need diversity in crops because we all need diversity in food to address climate change in our fields,” added Álvaro Toledo.

The Crop Trust welcomes these outcomes from COP16 and looks forward to working with our partners around the world to advance the conservation and use of crop diversity as a solution to the challenges of our times.

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