The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development covers 17 goals, the second of which is “zero hunger”, namely: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture. (Click here for details)

Under this major goal, there are eight targets, the fifth of which is “By 2020, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and their related wild species, including through soundly managed and diversified seed and plant banks at the national, regional and international levels, and promote access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, as internationally agreed”.

● Current Situation

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has plunged the world into an unprecedented crisis. Recently, a number of countries announced that they began to restrict the export of agricultural products, making the food crisis once again widespread concern around the world.

According to the estimate of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the world population will reach 9.8 billion by 2050. With the increase of population, the demand for food will increase. Biodiversity for food and agriculture is among the Earth’s most important resources. Thousands of species and their genetic variability make up the web of life and are indispensable to adapt to new conditions, including climate change. We must conserve biodiversity for food and agriculture and promote its sustainable use for food security, human well-being and development worldwide, for current and future generations.

About the World

FAO Launched the First Biodiversity Report

Photo source: Internet

On February 22, 2019, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations launched the first biodiversity report, The State of the World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture, which presents mounting and worrying evidence that the biodiversity that underpins our food systems is disappearing - putting the future of our food, livelihoods, health and environment under severe threat.

Without biodiversity, there would be no global food and nutrition security.

Text source: FAO website

About China

China’s Biodiversity Is Rich in Resources but Seriously Damaged

Photo source: Internet

China is one of the most biodiversity rich countries in the world. It has terrestrial ecosystems such as forests, shrubs, meadows, grasslands, deserts and wetlands, as well as large marine ecosystems in the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, the South China Sea and the Kuroshio basin. China ranks the third in the world in terms of plant species, and has a large number of wild species and ecosystem types and cultivated plants, domestic animal species and their wild relatives. China is one of the eight origin centers of crops in the world.

Although it is rich in wildlife resources, animal and plant breeding as well as cultivation varieties, China is one of the countries with serious loss of biodiversity in the world. It is of great strategic significance to study the causes of threatened biodiversity and biotic extinction, and to adopt effective methods to protect China’s biodiversity and to develop and utilize its biodiversity resources in a sustainable way.

Text source: State Report of Food and Agriculture Biodiversity of China

●  Cases

About the World

Biodiversity Friendly Practices on the Rise

Most countries around the world have implemented legal, policy and institutional frameworks for the sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity. Many methods such as strengthening frameworks, developing incentives and measures, promoting initiatives, and studying the main factors leading to the disappearance of biodiversity, have been carried out.

Photo source: Internet

In California, farmers allow their rice fields to flood in winter instead of burning them after growing season. This provides 111,000 hectares of wetlands and open space for 230 bird species, many at risk of extinction. As a result, many species have begun to increase in numbers, and the number of ducks has doubled. 

Text source: FAO website 

About China

Shenzhen Built First National Genebank

Human beings are more and more aware of the importance of genetic resources and the conservation of biodiversity. The first national gene bank, constructed and operated by BGI, is located in Dapeng New District, Shenzhen. It is a national public welfare innovation research and industrial infrastructure construction project serving national strategy. The national genebank is composed of biological information and sample resource. Based on biological resources, it is to build up a full penetration and coverage model from resources, scientific research to industry. Its application directions include human health, new agriculture, species diversity and ecological environment protection.

Photo source: sina.com

Shenzhen is a beautiful coastal city and has made remarkable achievements in the conservation of ecological environment. The forests and wetlands are all designated as reserved areas, and become natural reserves, important habitats of wild animals and plants, wetland parks, forest parks, country parks and geoparks.

● Background

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Initiated by the United Nations

On January 1, 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including 169 targets, of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at an historic UN Summit — officially came into force. Countries will mobilize efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind.