During the 2024 UN Desertification Conference (UNCCD COP 16), 5 December events focused on a report on agriculture and conservation and on a German programme on soil protection and rehabilitation for food security.

One event saw the presentation of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) 2024 Agriculture and Conservation report, the second in its flagship series. The event showcased insights from the report, highlighted the launch of the Arabic translation of the report, addressed how to upscale approaches to produce wins for both agriculture and the environment, and reiterated that many species have agricultural systems as their habitat. The report demonstrates that, with new modelling, feeding the world and conserving biodiversity that agriculture depends on are both possible. 

The report emphasizes that: certain changes, such as better land management, using payments for ecosystems services (PES), and regulatory changes, can unlock large benefits; systems approaches appropriate to location, scale, and production are needed; governments should make efforts to reform harmful agricultural subsidies; and conservation strategies can increase food security, as has been done, for example, in cases of protecting water resources and pollinators. 

A representative from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) said IFAD member States have requested, for the first time, an integrated strategy on climate change, environment, and biodiversity, and the IUCN report is an important tool to help fulfil this request. Other issues raised spoke to: the importance of on-farm income in addressing conservation aims; the role of blended finance; the need for farmer access to credit; and the responsibility of governments in supporting transition pathways. The event was organized by IUCN.

Germany’s Global Programme on Soil Protection and Rehabilitation for Food Security (ProSoil) was the focus of another event, during which programme participants noted that, beyond changes in agricultural practices, land tenure policies, participatory water budgeting, and women-led initiatives also matter for soil health. ProSoil has supported 290,000 smallholder farmers and benefited two million people, around 45% of them women. Among the project’s successes are increased agricultural productivity in central Burkina Faso, which resulted in an annual food surplus of 11,000 tons of grain.

In Benin, ProSoil has resulted in: positive impacts of women-led initiatives in sustainable land management (SLM); the creation of an expert panel on land management that provides advice to all ministries; and the publication of a practical guide to implement best practices. In India, participatory water budgeting has enabled the equitable and judicious use of water. Climate-resilient agricultural practices, such as nutrient management, vermicomposting, soil testing and soil health cards, and crop weather advisories for which farmers themselves contribute data, have also been introduced. Through ProSoil, more than 70,000 farmers in four states in India have downloaded the app for crop weather advisories. 

The World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technology (WOCAT) supports the use of information and knowledge, tools for data standardization, and open access to data generated through ProSoil. The event was organized by the German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ).