22 May 2008: On the occasion of International Day for Biological Diversity (IBD), which was observed on 22 May 2008, UN and UNEP dignitaries stressed the nexus between biological diversity, food supply and climate change.

Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, commented, “biodiversity will become even more crucial in the future as climate change is creating uncertainty over which plant and livestock species will remain viable under changing conditions.” In his message, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pointed to both the effect of climate change on food crops and the effect of food production on climate change, noting that “livestock production is itself a major culprit in climate change, responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than transport.” [UNEP press release] [Message from the CBD Executive Secretary] [Message from the UN Secretary-General] [UN New Centre story]