May 22nd is the International Day for Biological Diversity. This year’s International Day for Biological Diversity is an especially significant one. “To Build Back Biodiversity, we must move from Agreement to Action.” We must implement the Framework and deliver on the promises for 2030 that are encapsulated in its 23 targets.
Much must be done if we are to address the underlying drivers of biodiversity loss:
- All governments must not only develop their national targets but put in place the laws, policies and programmes necessary to achieve them.
- Businesses need to assess and disclose impacts and pivot towards sustainable practices.
- The efforts of indigenous peoples and local communities in protecting biodiversity must be recognized and protected.
- We all need to reduce waste and shift to more sustainable consumption.
- And we need to raise the necessary finance to facilitate these actions, reform subsidies and align major investment flows with the goals and targets of the Framework.
“We need a whole-of-government, whole-of society approach. Everyone must be engaged. Everyone must be involved.”
Here are seven steps you can take to protect biodiversity every day: 1) buy organic and sustainably-produced foods whenever possible; 2) eat a sustainable diet (e.g., vegan, vegetarian, planetary health diet, flexitarian); 3) reduce food and packaging waste; 4) reduce, reuse, and recycle; 5) use environmentally-friendly cleaning products; 6) reduce use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers – research shows that organic agricultural practices are best at protecting pollinators; and 7) start composting. Protecting biodiversity is also important for addressing climate change and creating climate resilience in the food supply.
Source: Keesing F. Diet for a small footprint. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2022;119(17) e2204241119. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2204241119
References:
22 May 2023: International Biodiversity Day: From Agreement to Action: Build Back Biodiversity. Conventional on Biological Diversity. May 2023. Available at: https://www.cbd.int/article/idb2023
How does biodiversity impact food security? Zurich Magazine. January 13, 2023. Available at: https://www.zurich.com/en/media/magazine/2021/food-for-thought-what-biodiversity-means-to-you#:~:text=Put%20simply%2C%20less%20biodiversity%20means,feed%20our%20ever%2Dgrowing%20population
Why are bees so important for biodiversity? Zurich Magazine. May 17, 2023. Available at: https://www.zurich.com/media/magazine/2023/why-are-bees-so-important-for-biodiversity
Keesing F. Diet for a small footprint. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2022;119(17) e2204241119. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2204241119
Romain C. Ekroos J, Henrik G. et al. Organic farming supports spatiotemporal stability in species richness of bumblebees and butterflies. Biological Conservation, 2018; 227: 48 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2018.08.022
Wintermantel, D, Odoux, J-F, Chadœuf, J, Bretagnolle, V. Organic farming positively affects honeybee colonies in a flower-poor period in agricultural landscapes. J Appl Ecol. 2019; 56: 1960– 1969. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13447
Sustainable RDN 