23 September 2015
Bioversity International Outlines its Contributions to SDG Implementation
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In a blog post, Bioversity International Director General M.

Ann Tutwiler discusses the organization's work and its contributions to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 1 (poverty), SDG 2 (hunger), SDG 3 (health and well-being), SDG 12 (sustainable consumption and production), SDG 13 (climate change) and SDG 15 (terrestrial ecosystems).

Bioversity International21 September 2015: In a blog post, Bioversity International Director General M. Ann Tutwiler discusses the organization’s work and its contributions to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 1 (poverty), SDG 2 (hunger), SDG 3 (health and well-being), SDG 12 (sustainable consumption and production), SDG 13 (climate change) and SDG 15 (terrestrial ecosystems).

In the post, Tutweiler says that the specific recognition of biodiversity in SDG 15 is a significant milestone. She also notes that the compilation of Bioversity International’s work shows how biodiversity conservation contributes to the other SDGs that do not specifically mention biodiversity.

Bioversity International’s contributions to SDG 1 (poverty) include: work on developing markets for traditional grains to eradicate poverty (Target 1.5); and developing drought-resistant wheat seed systems to build the resilience of the poor to the impacts of climate change (Target 1.5).

On SDG 2 (hunger), the blog discusses how the organization has worked to: diversify food systems to end hunger, ensure access to food and reduce malnutrition (Targets 2.1 and 2.2); improve legume and banana-based agricultural systems to ensure sustainable and resilient food systems that increase productivity and production (Target 2.4); and safeguard local varieties and crops through community seed banks and a new banana gene bank to maintaining agricultural biodiversity (Target 2.5) as well as invest in enhanced agricultural productive capacity in developing countries (Target 2a).

Regarding SDG 3 (health and well-being), Bioversity International has published a review of the knowledge on biodiversity and human health that contributes to reducing premature mortality from non-communicable diseases (Target 3.4). On SDG 12 (sustainable consumption and production), the document notes work on reducing loss from crop pests and diseases to prevent food waste (Target 12.3). Regarding SDG 13 (climate change), Bioversity International contributed to the development of a strategic action plan for using plant genetic resources for climate-change adaptation in Mesoamerica (Target 13.1).

Finally, on SDG 15 (terrestrial ecosystems), the compilation lists: an initiative to restore 20 million hectares of land in Latin America and the Caribbean to improve sustainable forest management and forest restoration (Target 15.2); work towards safeguarding and using crop wild relatives to reduce biodiversity loss (Target 15.5); and projects that ensure fair access and benefit-sharing (ABS) with regard to plant genetic resources (Target 15.6).

Bioversity International is a member of the CGIAR Consortium. [Director General’s Blog] [Bioversity International Research Strategy] [Agricultural and Tree Biodiversity for Sustainable Development]

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