Biodiversity is nature’s contribution to people. The livelihood of millions of people around the globe is highly reliant on biodiversity. The alarming rate of biodiversity loss, exacerbated by the grave threat of climate change, environmental degradation, and the extinction of plant and animal varieties and species could result in the devastation of the entire ecosystems.
The VI BioTrade Congress, organized as a virtual event, brought together 36 speakers and over 200 participants from nearly 60 countries. It provided a strategic platform for experts and specialists to discuss ways in which trade and biodiversity can decrease biodiversity loss and build resilient livelihoods and economies, ensuring a positive future, especially in developing countries. The transformation to more sustainable and resilient livelihoods and economies is attainable with the cooperation of all partners from government, business, and civil society.
The congress had various sessions with interactive discussions. The high-level panel discussed how trade and biodiversity can contribute to a more sustainable future. This was followed by five parallel sessions in which participants joined a session of their choice.
The sessions, organized by BioTrade partners, addressed the challenges and opportunities in tackling socio-environmental challenges through trade which conserves, restores and enhances nature’s contribution to people. The event concluded with a plenary with discussions on the results of the parallel sessions, bringing it back to the main theme of trade and nature’s contribution to people.
This report discusses the challenges in the value chains and experiences in traceability, evolving tools and approaches related to biodiversity and BioTrade, oceans economy and Blue BioTrade, circular bioeconomy, and BioTrade sustainability through standards and certification schemes.
Recommendations from the Congress will contribute to the different development processes such as the post-2020 GBF and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our commitment to deliver on the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development requires greater effort from the international community in ensuring prosperity for all, leaving no one behind.
