Blog Healthy People, Healthy Planet: The Connection Between Climate Resilience, Biodiversity, and Nutrition for a Sustainable Future
The upcoming Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biodiversity (COP16) and the Plenary Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS 52) present important opportunities to strengthen support for initiatives that promote both human and planetary health. Explore how addressing the interconnections between climate resilience, biodiversity and nutrition is essential, and how global policy can drive practical solutions for a sustainable future.
In 2015, during the Alaçati Herb Festival in Türkiye, a wild herb collector’s competition was held, rewarding the participant who gathered the most wild edible plant species. Contestants were required to identify each plant and explain its culinary or medicinal use. In Türkiye, wild plants continue to be harvested and eaten as salads, fried, or roasted, while others are valued for their healing properties. The competition's winner, Ms. Nuran Erdem, collected an impressive 104 plant species, which she proudly showcased: "Some aren't in season - otherwise, I could have gathered even more," she remarked.
The Climate Change, Biodiversity and Nutrition Nexus
While wild edible plants are an important part of traditional food culture in many parts of the world (and an effective coping strategy in times of food scarcity), the increasing impact of climate change poses a threat to these valuable food resources - their sustainable utilization remains uncertain. Rising global temperatures, increasing occurrence of extreme weather events such as droughts, floods and sea level rise are all contributing to the disruption of ecosystems and loss of biodiversity globally. Dietary diversity and biodiversity are inextricably linked, and the loss of one affects the other, both impacting most marginalized populations most heavily. A lack of dietary diversity (when people consume too few different types of food) contributes to nutritional deficiencies, negatively impacting human health and well-being.
However, by recognizing the interconnectedness of climate change, biodiversity and nutrition, we can unlock the potential for positive change that benefits both people and the planet. A 2021 FAO publication proposes that:
‘ If biodiversity within and across terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems is protected and promoted as the foundation for healthy diets through agroecological and people-centered approaches, then a wider range of sustainable production systems (agriculture, forestry and fishery) will be incentivized; as a result, a variety of safe and nutritious foods will be made more accessible and affordable throughout the year.’ - Climate change, biodiversity and nutrition nexus – Evidence and emerging policy and programming opportunities, FAO, 2021.
Since 2010, the Alaçatı Herb Festival has been held annually in April or May to promote the use of local herbs in the region. Supporting this mission, the Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition project created a recipe book that showcases traditional recipes made with Aegean wild species and local crops.
The CBD Initiative on Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition
The Alaçati Herb Festival is just one example of work that was supported by the GEF-supported Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition (BFN) project which ran from 2012-2019, and which was implemented globally by the Alliance. This multi-country cross-sectoral project - carried out in Brazil, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Türkiye, with implementation support from UNEP and FAO - was the first of its kind to mainstream local food biodiversity into policies and actions such as strengthening food composition data and establishing ordinances that prioritize underutilized, nutrient-rich species for public food procurement including school meals programs. Moreover, the BFN project was central to the implementation of the CBD’s Initiative on Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition, and provides an evidence-based approach that can continue to guide other countries interested in undertaking similar efforts.
Fresh amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) from Upli Elementary School's garden is used to prepare a hearty macaroni dish with pork strips, served alongside a boiled egg and a glass of milk for a wholesome school meal. As a drought-tolerant plant rich in Vitamin C, amaranth is one of the nine prioritized vegetables under CGIAR’s FRESH initiative in the Philippines.
Several other Alliance projects and programs align with the goals of the CBD Initiative: In Sri Lanka, the GEF-funded Healthy Landscapes project adopted a landscape approach to rehabilitate its ancient Tank Cascade Systems. Among its activities, the project raised awareness about foraging neglected and underutilized plant foods, their nutritional and medicinal importance, and their culinary uses to enhance dietary diversity. In the Philippines, the CGIAR Initiative on Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets (FRESH) has prioritized several traditional and indigenous fruits and vegetables that are nutrient rich and climate resilient. As part of this effort, seeds and seedlings of prioritized species were distributed to farmers, schools, and community gardens. The ASEAN-CGIAR Innovate for Food and Nutrition Security Regional Program through Intervention Package 3, ‘Enhancing ASEAN Agrobiodiversity Use for Planet-Friendly School Meals’, will focus on developing planet-friendly school meals programs across ASEAN countries in 2025, exploring home-grown approaches that link farmer organizations supplying local agrobiodiversity to schools.
Looking ahead
The BFN project and related initiatives highlight the importance of multisectoral and synergistic approaches that integrate agriculture, nutrition, human health, environmental health and economic development. Awareness of the deep connections between climate change, biodiversity, and nutrition continues to expand, along with the supporting evidence.
Integrating these dimensions into public health, conservation and sustainability strategies can offer significant benefits. However, effective integration relies on cross-sectoral coordination and collaboration among various government departments including agriculture, health, social development and environment. Equally important is improved coordination across governance levels—from local and municipal bodies to national, regional, and global institutions.
The CBD’s Initiative on Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition - established in 2006 - provides a major global policy space to promote such approaches. However, since 2006 the trends and challenges faced by the global community have changed significantly, requiring the CBD Initiative on Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition to take stock and explore how best it can contribute to the transformation of agri-food systems that deliver better diets and nutrition. A strengthened and supported Initiative post-COP16 can contribute to achieving more than half of the CBD’s Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets, as well as other global food, climate and environmental goals.
Learn More
To discover more, attend these upcoming events at COP16 and CFS52:
‘The CBD Initiative on Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition: a catalyst for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’ on Wednesday 23 October 15.00 (GMT-5) onwards at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 16).
‘Healthy diets, sustainable futures: bridging nutrition, biodiversity and climate change policies’ side event on Thursday 24 October 8:30-9:45 (CEST) at the 52nd Plenary Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS 52).
Cover photo credits: Teresa Borelli
