In pursuit of IUCN’s vision of “a just world that values and conserves nature” our conservation action for 2026-2029 is driven by two imperatives: scaling up inclusive and socially just conservation in land, freshwater and ocean, and directly supporting transformative action in eight key sectors that either depend on nature or negatively impact nature, or both. One of these is food and agricultural systems, a consistent high priority for action among IUCN Members. 

Unsustainable and harmful food and agricultural systems are a leading driver of biodiversity loss globally and a key contributor to land, ocean and coastal degradation, water and land pollution, and short- and long-lived greenhouse gas emissions. New approaches to food and agricultural/mariculture production are urgently needed, not only to safeguard biodiversity, but also to improve food security, health, ecosystem integrity and local livelihoods. 

By 2029, our measure of success will be that significant progress in establishing sustainable, nature-positive and multifunctional agricultural production landscapes and seascapes has been achieved and further loss of biodiversity prevented.  

Achieving this requires the collective effort of our Members, Commissions and partners. In this special World Conservation Congress edition of the Common Ground Newsletter, we look at the Motions on food and agricultural systems, and the events that explore agriculture's role in conservation. 

Read on for a food and agricultural systems-focused preview of the World Conservation Congress.  

Stewart Maginnis, Deputy Director General, IUCN 

At the IUCN World Conservation Congress Members’ Assembly, members vote on a wide range of motions, many of which are linked to food and agricultural systems (FAS). Voting on motions can be online or in-person at Congress.

Motions are the mechanism by which IUCN Members influence third parties and guide the policy and Programme of IUCN. As one of the largest international conservation forum that brings governments, civil society and indigenous peoples’ organisations to the same table, the IUCN Members’ Assembly carries a powerful mandate. Members vote to approve motions, and once adopted, they become Resolutions and Recommendations, and therefore the body of IUCN’s general policy. 

This year sees a significant number of motions relevant to FAS, reflecting the increased interest in the issues of agriculture and conservation. You can find them listed below (while the full list of all motions is available on the Congress website). The link to each motion's webpage gives a full description.

• Motion 007: Soil security law
• Motion 008: Conservation and sustainable management of rangelands and pastoralism
• Motion 014: Promoting hedgerows in agriculture to foster biodiversity, strengthen ecosystem resilience and mitigate climate change
• Motion 033: State measures regarding illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
• Motion 081: Supporting the economy transformation towards a regenerative economy
• Motion 084: Developing a circular and sustainable bioeconomy for sustainable food and agriculture

A group of motions related to food and agricultural systems were voted on through the digital voting system. The results of these votes will be released at the Members' Assembly.

• Motion 002: Accelerating action for nature-positive, sustainable agriculture and food systems
• Motion 005: Protection and restoration of diverse native grasslands
• Motion 009: Protection of biomes and ecosystems threatened by native vegetation conversion
• Motion 019: Activating sustainable management of inland fisheries
• Motion 030: Definition and principles of the regenerative Blue Economy 
• Motion 078: Encouraging agroforestry and mycorrhization practices that promote soil biodiversity

The IUCN World Conservation Congress will host a broad variety of events related to Food and Agricultural Systems, as well as important launches of knowledge products, reports, partnerships and initiatives. These include a wide-ranging review of key areas of law and policy that could be reframed to support the development and implementation of sustainable agriculture approaches, particularly at the national level, and the launch of the first IUCN online course focused on agriculture and conservation. 

The timetable of Food and Agricultural Systems related events starts on Thursday 9th October and runs until Sunday 12th October. 

Read on for details of three high-profile events, and see the full calendar of events on our website.

This high-level dialogue session explores the complex and increasingly urgent need to reconcile agricultural production with healthy ecosystems and people, and water and energy security in the context of climate change, growing food demands, and the degradation of natural resources. Keynote speaker Agnes Kalibata, UN Food Systems Summit Special Envoy, will examine the issues, followed by a discussion with representatives from farmers, government, international organizations, youth and Indigenous People. 

This World Café session offers practical insights into how Indigenous and territorial communities are reimagining financial governance to build nature-positive, multifunctional landscapes and economies. Featuring Belén Citoler, Director of the World Rural Forum, Giuseppe Villalaz from the Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests, and Amirul Islam from the Asian Farmers Association.

In this interactive event participants will hear directly from diverse voices — a farmer, Indigenous leader, private sector representative, and policymaker — on why a shared “guiding star” for regenerative agriculture outcomes matters in their worlds. Then, participants will validate and apply Regen10’s Outcomes-Based Framework draft use cases, connecting them to real-world challenges and opportunities. This event will feature Pascal Bonzom, Global Head of IUCN Food and Agricultural Systems, and Elizabeth Nsimadala, a Ugandan young agripreneur and President of the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation.

• First Edition - May 2025
• Second Edition - September 2025

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