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Convention on Biological Diversity International

The CBD is an international environmental agreement. The Convention's overall objectives are to conserve the Earth's biological diversity, to use it sustainably and to share fairly and equitably the benefits arising from the use of biological diversity.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

Glass globe lying on moss
Source. Stock Adobe/Romolo Tavani

The CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity) was adopted in 1992. It is one of the international agreements signed at the Rio de Janeiro environmental summit. It combines the goal of conserving biological diversity with that of sustainable use and sharing the benefits resulting from its use (see also ABS).

Agrobiodiversity is one of the CBD's thematic work programmes. Within this programme, there are important crosscutting initiatives for agriculture and food, including on the diversity of pollinators, soil diversity and nutrition. For the conservation and sustainable use of plant diversity, the Contracting Parties to the CBD adopted the Global Strategy for the Conservation of Plants (GSPC) in 2002, setting quantitative targets for 16 individual objectives for the first time. The GSPC was updated in 2010.

In order to stop the increasing loss of biodiversity, the Contracting Parties to the CBD adopted the "Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020" in 2010. It defines 20 concrete goals for action, the so-called Aichi Biodiversity Targets.

Important Aichi Biodiversity Targets related to agriculture, forestry and fisheries