http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/programmes/en/genetics/natcord.html This presentation by Irene Hoffmann was held at the Global Workshop for National Coordinators for the Management of Animal Genetic Resources, from 4-5 July 2016 in Rome, Italy. © FAO: http://www.fao.org

1. The Major Area of Work on
Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity

2. 2
Strategic Programme
Making agriculture, forestry and fisheries
more productive and sustainable

3. 3
Integrated Approaches to Efficient
Resource Use (ERU)
Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA)
Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity (ESB)
Blue Growth Initiative (BGI)
Thematic
areas
of work

4. 4
Brings together FAO’s work on ecosystem services and
biodiversity across regions and technical divisions, in Agriculture
(Crops and Livestock), Forestry, Fisheries and Natural Resources
Biodiversity has long been interwoven into the work of FAO:
• Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture,
• FAO’s leadership in the Agricultural Biodiversity Programme of
Work of the Convention on Biological Diversity
• Inter-Departmental Working Group on Biodiversity
Ecosystem Services: a new terminology but a familiar concept to
FAO: “the benefits people obtain from nature”
Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity (ESB)

5. 5
• Provisioning services are the material benefits that people obtain from
ecosystems: food, fresh water, fibres, skins, and other raw materials incl.
genetic and medicinal resources
• Regulating services are the benefits obtained from the regulation of
biological processes: regulation of water flows, air quality and climate,
moderation of extreme events, pollination and seed dispersal, waste
recycling, erosion prevention, maintenance of soil fertility and structure
Ecosystem services

6. 6
• Supporting services are critical for the provision of all other services:
Habitat function for plant and animal species to maintain a high genetic
diversity
• Cultural services are the non-material benefits that people gain from
ecosystems: cultural heritage and identity, opportunities for recreation and
tourism, spiritual experience, inspiration for art and design
Ecosystem services

7. 7
Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity (ESB)
main objectives
build a greater understanding on
ecosystem services and biodiversity
build capacity in managing and
restoring ecosystem services
present compelling evidence and
share knowledge
demonstrate that a shift towards
more diversified agricultural systems
is necessary and feasible

8. 8
Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity (ESB)
work streams
Valuation and assessment of
ecosystem services and biodiversity
Capacity development for the
management of ecosystem services
and biodiversity
Governance and policy actions for
maintaining, restoring and enhancing
the value of ecosystem services
Identification and mainstreaming of
incentive measures in policy and
practice

9. 9
Launch of the FAO web portal on ESB in 2015
http://www.fao.org/ecosystem-services-biodiversity/en/
• A global assessment was conducted of ecosystem services provided by
livestock species and breeds
• An International Debate on Agroecology in Food and Nutrition Security
was convened in 2014 and three Regional Conferences were held in 2015
(Asia and the Pacific, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean) to further
advance the agroecology theme on the international agenda
• Several key publications were released to mark the International Year of
Soils 2015: the Status of the World’s Soil Resources report, the Revised
World Soil Charter, and Understanding Mountain Soils: A Contribution
from mountain areas to the International Year of Soils 2015.
• …..
Major work accomplished in 2014/2015

10. 10
The increasing global attention paid to Integrated Landscape Management
(ILM) as a means to address major global challenges and to simultaneously
achieve multiple SDGs is an emerging opportunity for FAO to better position
itself in the international arena.
A task force on Integrated Landscape Management (ILM) has been set up in
FAO under the co-leadership of AGL (Sally Bunning) and FOA (Thomas Hofer).
A stock-taking of the existing multi-sectoral and cross-cutting conceptual
approaches and field experiences in FAO is under way.
Emerging opportunities

11. 11
Ecosystem services integration in a landscape
Natural Pest Control
Erosion prevention
Recreation
and Tourism
Genetic diversity
Food
Water
Diet
diversity
Soil fertility
Fodder
Carbon
Sequestration

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1) Based on the stock-taking mentioned before, a global guidance
document will be prepared in 2017 to demonstrate the importance of
ILM in the protection and enhancement of Ecosystem Services and
Biodiversity for a transition towards more sustainable food and
agriculture production systems.
2) Coordinated advocacy work to support biodiversity-related international
bodies in their efforts to mainstream biodiversity across other sectors
including agriculture.
3) Coordinated technical inputs to the preparation of The State of the
World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture.
Work to achieve Outputs 2 and 3 is led by the CGRFA in close collaboration
with the sectorial Intergovernmental Technical Working Groups on Genetic
Resources
Key work at global level in 2016/17:

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Livestock species and breeds are key components of ago-ecosystems and play
an essential role in the provision of ecosystem services.
There are three features that make livestock’s roles in ecosystems unique:
• Their ability to convert non-human edible feed and organic waste into
useful products;
• Their direct interactions with land, soil, vegetation through trampling,
grazing and browsing, and through the production of urine and dung;
• Their mobility and thus response capacity to deal with spatial and
temporal fluctuations in resource availability.
Animal genetic resources and ESB

14. 14
The promotion and wider application of integrated landscape approaches will
support the implementation of the Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic
Resources, particularly its
Strategic Priority 5 (Promote agro-ecosystems approaches to the
management of animal genetic resources) and
Strategic Priority 6 (Support indigenous and local production systems and
associated knowledge systems of importance to the maintenance and
sustainable use of animal genetic resources).
Animal genetic resources and ESB

15. 15
Integrated landscape management may include sector-specific actions in
policy and practices, e.g.
• To improve recognition and accounting for non-provisioning ecosystem
services provided by livestock;
• To support small-scale livestock keepers and pastoralists by formulating
favourable policies and by providing incentives for the preservation of a
broad genetic pool for future generations;
• To reverse the genetic erosion of livestock breeds by promoting a variety
of options for adapting to changing environments, including climate
change;
Beyond sector-specific actions, ILM fosters inter-sectoral coordination and
sets up inclusive multi-stakeholder processes for collaborative planning,
negotiation and decision-making. It combines practices and strategies to
sustainably manage the natural resource base across different land uses and
to achieve multiple environmental, economic and social benefits. It creates
resilience by promoting diversity.
Animal genetic resources and ESB

16. 16
Integrating ecosystem services into FAO’s work and aligning it with the
biodiversity work provides opportunities to work across sectors
There is growing recognition of the need to shift towards more diversified
agriculture and food systems that promote the role of ecosystem services in
agriculture, stimulate interactions between different land uses, users and
species and build long-term soil fertility, provide nutritious food and secure
livelihoods.
Let’s work together to make this shift happen!
Conclusions

17. 17
THANK YOU !
Contact:
Thomas Hofer
Team Leader (Water and Mountains)
Delivery Manager (Major Area of Work on Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity)
Coordinator Mountain Partnership Secretariat
FAO-Forestry Department
Thomas.Hofer@fao.org