FAO leads discussions on biodiversity governance and nature-positive agriculture at the inaugural Biodiversity Summit for Africa in Gaborone, advancing strategies to align national food systems with the Kunming‑Montreal framework.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) played a central role at the inaugural Biodiversity Summit for Africa in Gaborone (2–5 November 2025), driving a policy and technical agenda aimed at embedding biodiversity into agricultural planning, institutional frameworks and finance mechanisms. FAO led a high‑level technical session titled “Strengthening Biodiversity Governance in Africa,” which emphasised the need for coordinated regional strategies, strengthened national institutions and practical tools that enable farmers to adopt nature‑positive practices while safeguarding livelihoods and food security.

FAO’s contribution to the summit reflected years of programmatic work across the continent. The organisation has supported the development of a Continental Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan and facilitated regional roadmaps for blocs such as the Southern African Development Community and the East African Community. FAO’s engagement under the EU‑funded ACP‑MEAs 3 programme is helping countries integrate biodiversity considerations into agricultural policy, tighten pesticide management and meet commitments under global biodiversity governance instruments. This combined policy and technical assistance aims to reduce the implementation gap between international targets and on‑the‑ground agricultural practice.

Practical interventions showcased at the Summit highlighted FAO’s portfolio of nature‑positive approaches. Under ACP‑MEAs 3, FAO promotes agroecological practices, supports regulatory reforms for pesticide risk reduction and delivers farmer training through Farmer Field Schools. Demonstration projects in Tanzania and Zimbabwe use conservation farming techniques and biopesticides to maintain yields while reducing chemical inputs. Restoration initiatives such as mangrove rehabilitation in Tanzania were presented as examples of ecosystem recovery that simultaneously strengthen coastal resilience and sustain local fisheries and food supplies. These examples underline FAO’s message that biodiversity protection and productive agriculture are mutually reinforcing objectives.

FAO also presented tools and knowledge platforms designed to help countries mainstream biodiversity into food‑system planning. The AgriNBSAP initiative, the Biodiversity Knowledge Hub and the FAO Strategy on Mainstreaming Biodiversity into Agriculture provide practical guidance for policymakers to align national biodiversity plans with agricultural priorities. These resources offer frameworks for promoting agroforestry, conserving soil and pollinator biodiversity, and integrating sustainable livestock and crop management practices so that national strategies translate into measurable outcomes at farm and landscape scale.

Institutional capacity building and monitoring systems were focal points of FAO’s Gaborone programme. Strengthening legal and administrative capacity, improving biodiversity monitoring and designing finance mechanisms that support biodiversity‑aligned agricultural transformation are essential steps to ensure countries can implement the Kunming‑Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. FAO encouraged governments and regional institutions to design phased, measurable policy roadmaps that combine regulatory clarity with incentives for farmers and agribusinesses to adopt nature‑positive production systems.

The Summit also featured FAO’s Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme, which highlighted community‑driven conservation work, zoonotic risk reduction efforts and policy tools provided through the SWM Legal Hub. Presenters argued that integrating wildlife management into broader landscape planning and community development enhances biodiversity outcomes while addressing public health and livelihood goals, reinforcing the multi‑sectoral logic of biodiversity governance promoted throughout the Summit.

FAO’s specialists stressed that uptake will depend on coordinated action across governments, regional blocs, donors and the private sector. Kudzai Kusena, FAO International Biodiversity Policy Specialist, framed biodiversity mainstreaming as a foundational component of food security and rural resilience, noting that policies must be matched with finance, technical support and credible monitoring to produce results for communities. FAO called on partners to prioritise investments in rural extension, nature‑positive value chains, and shared infrastructure that reduce trade and market barriers for sustainably produced goods.

For Agrifocus Africa’s readers, the Summit’s outcomes send a clear signal to policymakers, agribusinesses and farmer organisations: aligning agricultural development with biodiversity goals is no longer optional. Countries that embed biodiversity into agricultural planning and certify nature‑positive production will be better positioned to access international finance, meet rising market expectations for sustainability and protect the ecosystem services that underpin long‑term farm productivity. The FAO’s work in Gaborone points to a practical pathway—combining policy reform, capacity building, and demonstrable field interventions—that can transform national commitments into actionable programs that benefit farmers, communities and national food systems.

As Africa moves from negotiation to implementation, stakeholders must prioritise measurable targets, transparent governance arrangements and financing instruments that reduce risk for farmers and investors. If well coordinated, these actions can ensure the continent’s agriculture sector contributes meaningfully to global biodiversity goals while sustaining the livelihoods and food security of millions.