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. Members vote on a wide range of motions, many of which are linked to food and agricultural systems. Depending on the motion, voting can be online or in-person at Congress.
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.
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 Congress webpages give a full description. Once adopted, they become Resolutions and Recommendations, and therefore join IUCN’s general policy.
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.
A small number of motions are considered of such “significant importance for conservation and for the IUCN and its members” under the IUCN Rules that they are referred to Congress for discussion and voting. Motions 081 and 084 were in this category and have been voted through Both are clear in their support for sustainable food and agricultural systems.
007: Soil security law
https://iucncongress2025.org/assembly/motions/motion/007
008: The conservation and sustainable management of rangelands and pastoralism
This motion 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.
https://iucncongress2025.org/assembly/motions/motion/008
014: Promoting hedgerows in agriculture to foster biodiversity, strengthen ecosystem resilience and mitigate climate change
This motion 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.
https://iucncongress2025.org/assembly/motions/motion/014
033: State measures regarding illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
https://iucncongress2025.org/assembly/motions/motion/033
081: Supporting the economy of transformation towards a regenerative economy
The World Conservation Congress Members’ Assembly is the forum where members vote on motions to set the future policy of IUCN. The Congress is the most democratic gathering of the international conservation community: 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.
A small number of motions are considered of such “significant importance for conservation and for the IUCN and its members” under the IUCN Rules that they are referred to Congress for discussion and voting. Motions 081 and 084 were in this category and have been voted through Both are clear in their support for sustainable food and agricultural systems.
https://iucncongress2025.org/assembly/motions/motion/081
084: Developing a circular and sustainable bioeconomy for sustainable food and agriculture
This motion 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.
It encourages States and IUCN Members to implement national policies, strategies and action plans for a bioeconomy that is circular and sustainable, promoting inclusive stakeholder participation. It makes a number of invitations including for States and IUCN Members to implement a bioeconomy that is circular and sustainable and gives high priority to food security, nutrition and ecosystem protection, taking into account all potential risks and effects of bioeconomy to biodiversity through sustainable and resilient production systems, while identifying and addressing the financial, logistic and market barriers faced by small producers in adopting biodiversity-friendly and circular practices.
https://iucncongress2025.org/assembly/motions/motion/084
A group of motions relating to food and agricultural systems were voted on through the digital voting system before Congress started. All of these motions were adopted by members.
002: Accelerating action for nature-positive, sustainable agriculture and food systems
This motion notes that agroecological and other holistic, inclusive and circular approaches can make an important contribution towards achieving resilient and sustainable agriculture and food systems and recommends IUCN establish a cross-Commission Working Group on “Agriculture and Food Systems and Biodiversity” to enhance collaboration, strengthen expertise, harness Union-wide knowledge, in addition a Commission Expert Group on Soil Biodiversity should be set up.
https://iucncongress2025.org/assembly/motions/motion/002
005: Protection and restoration of diverse native grasslands
This motion 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. It urges IUCN constituents to expand international cooperation to conserve mostly-intact temperate grassland, including through development of ecologically representative, well-connected and equitably governed protected areas, other effective area-based conservation measures and privately managed lands, consistent with Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
https://iucncongress2025.org/assembly/motions/motion/005
009: Protection of biomes and ecosystems threatened by native vegetation conversion
This motion 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 – including ecosystems such as the Cerrado, the Pampas, Humid Chaco, Orinoquia, Pantanal and the Miombo - by developing specific guidelines for traceability and risk categorisation that address the unique characteristics of supply chains associated with these biomes.
It calls for international environmental funds, such as the Green Climate Fund and the Global Environment Facility, and the GBFF to prioritize funding for conservation and sustainable use strategies in non-forest ecosystems, including: incentives for small-scale producers to maintain native vegetation; and initiatives for ecological restoration and climate change mitigation and adaptation.
https://iucncongress2025.org/assembly/motions/motion/009
019: Activating sustainable management of inland fisheries
25% of freshwater fish species are listed as at risk of extinction on The IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM; This motion 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 the following as appropriate: National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans.
https://iucncongress2025.org/assembly/motions/motion/019
030: Definition and principles of the regenerative Blue Economy
This motion 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', which builds on existing definitions of the sustainable Blue Economy, and specifies its five founding principles as necessary: protecting, restoring and regenerating marine and coastal ecosystems: creating an innovative, inclusive, equitable and solidarity-based economic model; adopting inclusive and transparent governance; decarbonising activities, generating positive impacts on ecosystems, establishing the circular economy; and acting for and with island States and Indigenous peoples.
https://iucncongress2025.org/assembly/motions/motion/030
078: Encouraging agroforestry and mycorrhization practices that promote soil diversity
This motion focuses on mycorrhizae, symbiotic organs resulting from an association between plant roots and fungi, that promote an exchange of minerals, water and carbon. Agroforestry systems using endomycorrhizae and micro-organisms provide co-benefits for health, employment, agricultural yields in specific production contexts, water resources and biodiversity. The motion 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; and adopt agroforestry and other soil conservation practices that promote the development of mycorrhizae and beneficial microorganisms, such as minimal tillage, maintaining cover crops without uprooting at the end of the cycle, and a diversity of perennial plants from different families; combining mycotrophic plant species such as the planting of legumes in intercrops, and the supply of organic matter such as mulch, compost or ramial chipped wood made from small branches.