The name Common Ground reflects our commitment to fostering synergy between Nature and food and agricultural systems. It speaks to the urgent need to reconcile those systems with ecological integrity by identifying shared values, mutual benefits, and collaborative solutions. In a time of increasing environmental, social and economic challenges, Common Ground symbolises the space where diverse actors — farmers, corporate actors, financial institutions, policymakers, conservation organisations and communities — can come together to build sustainable food and agricultural systems for both people and planet benefits. Through this newsletter, we aim to highlight this convergence and promote nature-positive approaches to food and agricultural systems transformation from across the IUCN as a complement to relevant existing IUCN constituencies newsletters.  

Pascale Bonzom, Head of the IUCN Food and Agricultural Systems Team

IUCN has prioritized Food and Agricultural Systems transformation as one of eight transformations that need to take place to achieve its new 20 years vision and intersessional programme (2026-2029) to be approved at the World Conservation Congress, later this year.  

The systemic transformation we aim at can only be achieved through changing behaviours, practices and performance. IUCN contributes to this objective by making use of its catalytic roles (convening & networking, policy advocacy, guiding decision making through knowledge, science and data, capacity strengthening, mobilizing resources and strategic communication), along three interconnected and overlapping intermediate changes’ focus areas. 

We develop and strengthen capacity of decision makers from the public and private sectors to use relevant knowledge, data, metrics and tools that increase their awareness and understanding of key issues; thus improving their capacity to make evidence-based decisions.

Our most recent contributions include: 1) the Flagship Report on Agriculture and Conservation which examines the positive and negative relationships between agriculture and Nature conservation, and suggests pathways to improve synergies and manage trade-offs; 2) the report on Sustainable agriculture and Nature-based Solutions (NbS) that explores the potential of NbS to provide a “triple-win” for people, planet, and economy; 3) the Biodiversity-Agriculture nexus report that looks at how the relationship between biodiversity and agriculture should be assessed. 

Our second area of focus to influence the food and agricultural systems transformation aims at improving the enabling environment. Our work focuses on how we can influence the development and implementation of governance systems, policies, financial mechanisms and action plans through policy advocacy and multi-stakeholder dialogues to achieve transformational change. 

One of our key objectives is to ensure that the decision-making processes are truly inclusive and the voices of the most vulnerable people – including smallholder farmers, local communities and indigenous people, who are landscape stewards and the powerhouses of rural economies – are heard and well incorporated in dialogue processes. Through the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF), IUCN works to strengthen and empower them, as well as to build awareness that directing funds through them is a highly effective way to get rapid impact (as shown in the recent FFF 2024 Annual Report).  

Our third area of focus to influence food and agricultural systems transformation aims at driving change on the ground, through action in landscapes and value chains, ensuring the voices of farmers, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities are heard, and that corporates and financial institutions are meaningfully engaged. 

One of our key initiatives in this area consists in strengthening and supporting landscape partnerships, where diverse stakeholders develop and implement a shared approach to transitioning food systems tailored to their local context. The voices of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities are central to this work, as represented in Regen10, a multistakeholder initiative, including IUCN and member WBCSD as partners, which promotes Regenerative Agriculture. Read more about this and our other work on the ground here: 

The biggest event of 2025 for IUCN is our four-yearly World Conservation Congress which takes place in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on October 9-15. The WCC has three components:

1) a Forum which is the largest knowledge marketplace for conservation and sustainable development science, practice and innovation;

2) an Exhibition, where IUCN Members and Commissions, businesses, partners, and academia showcase their research, innovations and work; 

3) the Members' Assembly where IUCN’s Member organisations vote on pressing conservation and sustainable development issues. 

IUCN Food and Agricultural Systems (FAS) team, in collaboration with IUCN Members, National Committees and Commissions, and partners, will showcase best practices, lessons learned as well as knowledge products and tools contributing to food and agricultural systems transformation. 

Register here before 30^th June for Early Bird Discounts.

From May 20-22 the Third International Agrobiodiversity Congress is convened by the Alliance of Biodiversity and CIAT, and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) in Kunming, Yunnan, China. IUCN is a Steering Committee member and ambassador of this event, and will be represented by our Asia Regional Office.

The 2025 Congress aims to offer a platform to the global community to share knowledge, innovation, practices, and technologies; facilitate the exchange and evaluation of the current status of agrobiodiversity, challenges, and trends in its conservation and use; and discuss and identify priority areas, objectives, and actions that require global action in agrobiodiversity conservation and use. 

How can we empower communities to restore forest landscapes?  

MyFarmTrees is a digital platform that offers communities science-based capacity building, monitoring & verification, and digital payments as rewards for conserving and restoring biodiversity.   

Using mobile technology and blockchain, it addresses land degradation, climate change, and rural poverty. MyFarmTrees promotes the use of diverse native tree species, livelihood diversification, food security, entrepreneurship through restoration activities, and connections with nature finance.   

Pilots in Kenya and Cameroon demonstrate its impact, where it has supported a network of more than 300 local tree nurseries, empowered close to 6000 farmers, and enabled digital payments to over 400 users, including farmers and community-nursery owners.   

Initially funded by an IUCN led Global Environment Facility (GEF) project, MyFarmTrees is seeking to grow across the Global South, by attracting new partnerships and investments. A recent development is its collaboration with the large-scale Seed to Tree project funded by the UK Mission to ASEAN, recently launched in Malaysia and implemented across Southeast Asia. MyFarmTrees welcomes partnership interest — you can explore opportunities by reaching out to their team. 

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