IUCN’s status as the global authority on the status of the natural world is strengthened every four years by our World Conservation Congress - the most democratic gathering of the international conservation community. As one of the largest international conservation fora that brings governments, civil society and indigenous peoples’ organisations to the same table, the IUCN Members’ Assembly is broad ranging. Members vote on a wide range of motions, many of which are linked to Food and Agricultural systems.
The 1,466 Resolutions and Recommendations that have been adopted at previous Congresses and General Assemblies since 1948, are the basis of IUCN’s general policy and have been the Members’ most effective means of influencing conservation policy, at the species, site, national and global level. IUCN’s decisions have contributed to setting the international conservation agenda, supported the development of international conservation law, and identified emerging issues that impact conservation.
2025 saw a significant number of motions relevant to Food and Agricultural Systems, reflecting the increased interest in the issues of agriculture and conservation. The links to the resolutions below give a full description.
For more information read these two articles:
- IUCN Members give mandate to act towards sustainable food and agricultural systems
- Common Ground Dialogues come to life at IUCN World Conservation Congress
Accelerating action for nature-positive, sustainable agriculture and food systems
This resolution recognises that food systems contribute significantly to the climate, biodiversity and pollution crises, and that, therefore, transforming food systems towards sustainability is essential for preventing planetary boundary transgressions.
Protection and restoration of diverse native grasslands
This resolution expresses concern at the disappearance and degradation of grasslands as a result of human activities and the environmental changes, especially climate change, which lead to habitat degradation, desertification and reduction of carbon sequestration. This resolution calls upon States and grassland managers to effectively conserve and manage natural grasslands that are integrated into wider landscapes near agricultural and human activity; and to support local, community-based approaches and collaborative partnerships to conserve these designated grasslands from intensive agricultural practices and from agricultural abandonment.
Soil security law
This resolution requests the IUCN Director General to collaborate with relevant Commissions and Members to develop concepts and parameters for an international convention or a global legal instrument on soil security; to evaluate and propose national or regional laws and policies to protect, restore and rehabilitate soil ecosystems, with a focus on sustainable agriculture; and to encourage States and regions to adopt appropriate measures and legal frameworks, addressing threats to soil and promoting soil security across all sectors.
Conservation and sustainable management of rangelands and pastoralism
This resolution links to the 2026 International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) and asks the Director General to raise awareness of the importance of rangelands and pastoralism for achieving sustainable development.
Protection of biomes and ecosystems threatened by native vegetation conversion
This resolution urges the Director General, in coordination with IUCN regional offices, to work with strategic partners to protect grasslands, savannas and other types of native vegetation from conversion for commodity production by developing specific guidelines for traceability and risk categorisation that address the unique characteristics of supply chains associated with these biomes.
Promoting hedgerows and trees in agriculture to foster biodiversity, strengthen ecosystem resilience and mitigate climate change
This resolution asks the IUCN Secretariat to support the dissemination and implementation of practices linked to the multifunctionality, sustainable management, conservation and planting of hedgerows in agricultural settings.
Activating sustainable management of inland fisheries
This resolution expresses concerns about the freshwater biodiversity crisis, with 25% of freshwater fish species listed as at risk of extinction on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It urges the Director General, Commissions, Members and States to review, update and implement laws and policies to support co-managed inland fisheries as appropriate; and include inland fisheries targets, indicators and actions in their national plans, including in their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans.
Definition and principles of the regenerative Blue Economy
This resolution encourages IUCN State Members and organisations to adopt the clear definition of the regenerative Blue Economy, set out in the IUCN publication Towards a regenerative Blue Economy. It also encourages State Members and agencies to consider developing roadmaps towards the regenerative Blue Economy, outlining actions, including NbS and monitoring indicators.
State measures regarding illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
This resolution recommends that IUCN explores options to strengthen legal frameworks addressing IUU fishing. It also requests the IUCN Council to explore the establishment of a task force, to develop an integrated IUCN strategy to address IUU fishing impacts on marine biodiversity, human rights, Indigenous communities and food security.
Encouraging agroforestry and mycorrhization practices that promote soil biodiversity
This resolution asks the IUCN Secretariat to support its Members to enable them to better understand the importance of mycorrhizae and micro-organisms in agriculture, and in particular in agroforestry, while ensuring respect for endogenous species; This resolution also invites its Members to fully embrace practices that promote the conservation and sustainable use of fungi and mycorrhizal micro-organisms in soil, to promote them among agricultural and conservation stakeholders, and to create the conditions necessary for their successful implementation.
Supporting the economy of transformation towards a regenerative economy
This resolution asks the Director General to establish a working group composed of IUCN Members and Commission experts to draft a document defining and characterising regenerative economy models; and a second working group composed of IUCN Members and Commission experts to review existing frameworks for regenerative agriculture and make recommendations for the adoption by IUCN at the next World Conservation Congress of a common framework.
Developing a circular and sustainable bioeconomy for sustainable food and agriculture
This resolution calls on the Director General to support the dissemination and implementation of a bioeconomy that is circular and sustainable in its projects and programmes for the protection and conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems. It takes the FAO definition of bioeconomy as being based on the production, use, conservation and regeneration of biological resources to deliver sustainable solutions in all economic sectors and to enable the transition to a sustainable economy.
Strengthening conservation efforts for fungi and invertebrates
This resolution recognises that invertebrates and fungi represent more than 75% of all described species, and likely more than 90% of all extant species on the planet. It also calls national authorities to consider policy measures and best practice to increase the health of ecosystems including soils, fungi, invertebrates and other biodiversity outside protected area systems, including through promoting sustainable forms of agriculture and land management that benefit biodiversity and people and reduce the use of harmful pesticides.