At the World Conservation Congress food and agriculture related events will discuss key areas of concern and feature new knowledge products, reports and initiatives. This year sees a significant number of events relevant to FAS, reflecting the increased interest in the issues of agriculture and conservation. 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, particularly at the national level, and the launch of a series of IUCN Online courses 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. The selection of events that follows features those that involve the Food and Agricultural Systems team, and the rest of the WCC programme contains sessions that link to food and agricultural systems because they are so central to conservation issues.
FEATURED EVENTS
Advancing Nature-Positive Multifunctional Landscapes through Effective Fund Management and Blended Finance for IPLCs
11 October: 11h00 – 12h30
Location: CR B: Forum – Session Room 9, hybrid (onsite & live streaming)
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. The session will explore the needs, capacities, and governance structures that enable effective operation, with special emphasis on the potential for blended finance to support sustainable livelihoods and ecosystem regeneration. Featuring Belén Citoler, Director of the WRF (World Rural Forum), Giuseppe Villalaz from the Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests (AMPB) and Amirul Islam from the Asian Farmers Association (AFA).
The Balancing Act: Feeding People, Sustaining the Planet
12 October: 12h30-13h30
Location: Hall 4B Forum Session, Room 2
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. As the world grapples with overlapping crises — biodiversity loss, climate change, food insecurity, water stress, poverty and inequality, pollution and pandemics— it becomes crucial to identify integrated solutions that deliver multiple benefits for people and planet. Keynote speaker Agnes Kalibata, UN Food Systems Summit Special Envoy, will examine the issues.
https://iucncongress2025.org/programme/balancing-act-feeding-people-sustaining-planet
Rethinking regenerative: co-creating a Common Framework for Food, Nature and Equity
12 October: 18h00 – 19h30
Location: IUCN 2030 Programme Pavilion – Stage 2
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” matters in their worlds. Then, through hands-on group work, participants will validate and apply Regen10’s draft use cases, connecting them to real-world challenges and opportunities. Featuring contributions from Pascal Bonzom, Global Head of Food and Agricultural Systems at IUCN, and Elizabeth Nsimadala, a Ugandan young agriprenuer and President of the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF)
THURSDAY, 9th OCTOBER
FRIDAY, 10th OCTOBER
SATURDAY, 11 OCTOBER
MONDAY, 13 OCTOBER
| THURSDAY 9th OCTOBER |
Food systems & commodities: Practices matters for biodiversity outcomes
09 October: 14h00 - 15h30
Location: Conference Hall A: Session Room 5, Hybrid
The GEF Food Systems project in Guatemala, and Burkina Faso will show the importance of promoting sustainable practices, forest certifications, zero-deforestation commitments and ensuring local producers join global sustainable production tables, in reducing the ecological impact of African Palm Oil and Maize.
From Bean to Biodiversity: Scaling Regenerative Landscape Solutions
09 October: 15h00 - 16h00
Location: IUCN Business Pavilion, Hybrid
This session explores how corporate commitments to sustainable sourcing can drive ecosystem-based adaptation and resilience. Clarmondial, IUCN and other partners will discuss how landscape programs can be anchored by sustainable commodity sourcing initiatives and enabled by impact investing and catalytic funding approaches.
https://iucncongress2025.org/programme/bean-biodiversity-scaling-regenerative-landscape-solutions
Agriculture, Desertification and Climate Resilience: From Global Commitments to Community-led Solutions
09 October: 18h00 - 19h00
Location: IUCN Africa, Onsite
Join leaders, practitioners, and communities to explore solutions to desertification. From soil regeneration and gender-responsive NbS to conflict-sensitive approaches, this session connects grassroots innovation with policy frameworks and financing pathways. Moderated by Maher Mahjoub, Director, IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation.
| FRIDAY 10th OCTOBER |
Exploring the potential of agricultural landscapes as OECMs
10 October: 10h30 – 12h00
Location: IUCN 2030 Programme Pavilion – Stage 2
This session will explore the emerging potential for well-managed agricultural landscapes to be recognised as Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs). Featuring Stephen Woodley, Vice Chair for Science and Biodiversity of IUCN's World Commission on Protected Areas, and Paulina Karim, Assistant Professor at the College of Environmental Studies and Oceanography and CEO of @ScapesLab Research Centre, National Dong Hwa University, Taiwan.
Agroecological NbS in Action
10 October: 11h00 – 12h30
Location: CR B: Forum – Session Room 10, Hybrid
This World Café session explores how corporate commitments to sustainable sourcing can drive ecosystem-based adaptation and resilience. Clarmondial, IUCN and other partners will discuss how landscape programs can be anchored by sustainable commodity sourcing initiatives and enabled by impact investing and catalytic funding approaches. The session is informed by real projects in Least Developed Countries. Speakers include Martina Fleckenstein, Global Policy Director, Food ,WWF International, Fabien Kufel project manager for “Nature-based Solutions” at the IUCN French Committee, and Dr Andrew (Drew) Gardner, Associate Director of Biodiversity Conservation at Emirates Nature-WWF, the local environmental charity that works in association with WWF.
The Model Forest Act Initiative: Modernising Law to Address the Global Forest Crisis
10 October: 11h00 - 12h30
Location: Conference Hall B: Session Room 9, Hybrid
The Model Forest Act Initiative (MoFAI) is a groundbreaking effort to provide an innovative legal blueprint for policymakers to use in modernizing law for the protection, conservation, restoration, and ecologically sustainable management and use of forests. In this session, MoFAI partners will discuss 21st century environmental crises, such as deforestation and forest degradation, climate change, and biodiversity loss, and will present the draft Model Forest Act.
Soil health for nature conservation and resilience
10 October: 11h00 - 12h30
Location: Virtual Channel 2
Explore advances in monitoring, inclusive financing, and policy frameworks that position soil health as a nature-based solution for conservation, climate resilience, and sustainable land management.
https://iucncongress2025.org/programme/soil-health-nature-conservation-and-resilience
Agriculture and Biodiversity science-based policy development in Europe
10 October: 12h30 - 13h10
Location: Virtual Channel 4
This session offers an in-depth look into innovative perspectives on science-based policy recommendations in Europe for agriculture, climate and biodiversity, following the development of the newly constituted European Commission and the current dialogue on the next Common Agricultural Policy.
Farming the future: Climate-smart solutions for resilient communities
10 October: 13h00 - 14h00
Location: IUCN Arabia
This session will highlight IUCN’s achievements in supporting vulnerable communities through innovative, climate-smart agricultural initiatives in the MENA Region.
https://iucncongress2025.org/programme/farming-future-climate-smart-solutions-resilient-communities
EUDR Compliance: How ecosystems fuel premium and ethical markets with a social equity approach
10 October: 13h30 - 15h00
Location: IUCN Programme 2026-2029 Pavilion - R2
This session will present practical insights on how compliance with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) can become a catalyst for inclusive, ethical, and high-quality markets. Through real-life cases and outcomes from multi-stakeholder dialogues, we will show how ecosystem restoration and social equity approaches can go beyond regulatory compliance, generating shared value for producers, consumers, and landscapes. Panelists include Pascale Bonzom, IUCN Global Head of Food and Agricultural Systems, the session is hosted by Gabriel Quijandria, IUCN Regional Director for South America.
Integrating biodiversity into sectoral public policies in 15 countries: the BIODEV2030 method
10 October: 14h00 - 14h45
Location: Pavillon France
Sharing the experience of 6 years of implementing BIODEV2030 in 15 countries • Showing how biodiversity mainstreaming into economic sectors can work. Implemented by IUCN, WWF, coordinated by Expertise France and funded by Agence Francaise de Développement (AFD), the BIODEV2030 project has operated since 2020 in 15 countries (12 in Africa). This approach could be replicated in many countries. What have we learnt so far?
Finding Common Ground: Dialogues for Sustainable Food and Agriculture
10 October: 15h00 – 16h30
Location: IUCN 2030 Programme Pavilion – Stage 1
The need to enhance the environmental sustainability and resilience of food and agricultural systems is increasingly recognized. Yet, many public policies still incentivize unsustainable farming practices that prioritize short-term productivity while overlooking their dependence on healthy ecosystems and soils. On the other hand, policies that promote more sustainable approaches often face resistance from farmers and producers concerned about income loss without adequate financial support.
A core driver of these challenges is the lack of trust, dialogue, and shared understanding between agriculture and conservation communities. Through its Common Ground Dialogues, IUCN brings together farmers, governments, financial institutions, and civil society to foster trust and promote collaboration for joint action.
This session features Barbara Pompili, France’s new Ambassador for the Environment, and and Bui Duc Hieu, Deputy Director General of the International Cooperation Department, Viet Nam.
Advancing sustainable agriculture through law and policy coherence
10 October: 16h30 – 18h00
Location: IUCN 2030 Programme Pavilion – Stage 2
The transition toward sustainable agriculture is central to addressing the interconnected crises of biodiversity loss, climate change, and food insecurity. Yet current agricultural development models have often overlooked environmental and social impacts, limiting the effectiveness of policies and legal frameworks. This event will introduce insights from a forthcoming IUCN report that examines the enabling legal and policy conditions required to support sustainable agriculture from international to national levels. Featuring Dr. Alejandro Iza, Director of the Environmental Law Centre and former Director and Head of the IUCN Environmental Law Programme.
Mainstreaming Food Systems in Biodiversity and Climate Agendas: Aligning National Commitments with Powerful Tools
10 October: 16h30 - 18h30
Location: Conference Hall B: Session Room 8
As countries develop and implement their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) to meet global and national biodiversity targets, integrating food systems presents a critical opportunity for transformative change that simultaneously advances biodiversity conservation and climate action. This session introduces interactive, web-based tools that help integrate food systems into NBSAPs and other biodiversity policies.
| SATURDAY 11th OCTOBER |
From NEXUS to action: WEFE pathways for a resilient agriculture in KSRNR
11 October: 11h00 - 11h45
Location: IUCN Arabia
The King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Royal Natural Reserve is located in the north of Saudi Arabia. It is the largest reserve in the kingdom with 130,700 square km area. This session will showcase the outputs of the ongoing Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems project with the development authority of KSRNR and discuss how these outputs can support and inform decision-making besides building the groundwork for the upcoming phases of the project.
https://iucncongress2025.org/programme/nexus-action-wefe-pathways-resilient-agriculture-ksrnr
Agricultural support, biodiversity and trade: Examining connections to repurpose harmful incentives
11 October: 11h30 - 12h10
Location: Learning Zone Pavilion: Publications Hub
Presenting a new publication that examines correlations between support to agricultural producers and threatened species at country-level. IUCN has analysed and integrated the most globally comprehensive datasets on biodiversity (The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species), agricultural support (AgIncentives), land use (FAO), and trade (UN Comtrade). Main methods, results and recommendations will be featured.
Agriculture and Biodiversity in Shared Landscapes
11 October: 12h00 - 13h00
Location: IUCN Asia Pavilion
This event will adopt IUCN’s Common Ground Dialogue approach to convene a diverse group of stakeholders—including policymakers, practitioners, and representatives from IUCN members, particularly from India and Vietnam. The focus will be on sharing experiences and insights into sustainable agricultural practices that both support and benefit from biodiversity within a multifunctional landscape. This event will build on the discussions initiated at the Asia Regional Conservation Forum (RCF).
https://iucncongress2025.org/programme/agriculture-and-biodiversity-shared-landscapes
Farming with nature: Monitoring Land Health in agricultural landscapes through functional biodiversity with the Land Health Monitoring Framework
11 October: 13h00 – 14h00
Location: Learning Zone Pavilion – Tools for Nature
This session offers a combination of theoretical insights and hands-on exercises, guiding participants to design monitoring strategies that improve decision-making for sustainable land management. This session introduces participants to the Land Health Monitoring Framework (LHMF), which uses functional biodiversity indicators—above-ground biodiversity, below-ground biodiversity, and landscape elements—to assess the state of land health. Participants will learn how this framework supports sustainable agriculture by providing practical tools for monitoring biodiversity and ecosystem services at multiple scales. Speakers include agricultural engineer Alberto Martin and biologist Belén Quintana Martin-Montalvo.
Showcasing Concrete Field Actions Enabled by the France–IUCN Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
11 October: 14h00 – 15h30
Location: French Pavilion
As part of the France–IUCN Partnership’s ongoing commitment to transforming agriculture and food systems through nature-based solutions (NbS), this event offers a unique opportunity to hear directly from the ground. Representatives from pilot countries will come together to share concrete progress and lessons learned from the field — including innovative approaches to upscaling agricultural NbS, community-led practices, and advances in land health monitoring.
This session will not only showcase practical results and measurable impacts, but also demonstrate how collaboration across national and institutional levels can drive real change in agricultural landscapes. Speakers include Dr. Archana Godbole, Founder Director of the Pune based NGO the Applied Environmental Research Foundation and Alexandre Rutikanga, Chief Technical Advisor Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI).
Replacement industries to catalyze scalable, regenerative bioeconomies in the Amazon: The case of alternative proteins
11 October: 16h00 - 17h30
Location: Hall 4B: Session Room 2
We need entirely new industries to replace harmful value chains and build the regenerative economies of the future. Join this interactive fishbowl with leaders in conservation and alternative proteins to explore how replacement products can open nature-positive opportunities for Amazonian people
Celebrating the cooperation between IUCN and Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty
11 October: 19h00 - 20h00
Location: Brazil
This event celebrates the collaboration between IUCN and the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, highlighting the intrinsic relationship between ecosystem restoration and the production of nutritious food for all, in line with SDG 2. Speakers include Pascale Bonzom, Global Headf of Food and Agricultural Systems, IUCN, and João Paulo de Faria Santos, Legal Adviser, Ministry of Social Development and Assistance, Family and Fight Against Hunger in Brazil.
Film: Common Ground on Regenerative Agriculture for a Sustainable future: screening and farmers’ dialogue
11 October: 19h30 – 21h00
Location: IUCN 2030 Programme Pavilion – Stage 1
Features the screening of "Common Ground", the compelling sequel to the acclaimed documentary "Kiss the Ground", which inspired a $20 billion commitment from the USDA toward soil health. The following panel discussion will focus on the critical role of regenerative agriculture in addressing the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution while ensuring food security, nutrition, and sustainable livelihoods. Farmers, including indigenous peoples, family farmers, and mainstream industrialised farmers, will share their experiences with regenerative agriculture, the challenges they face, and the solutions they have developed in their contexts.
| SUNDAY 12th OCTOBER |
IUCN Flagship report. How can we feed the world while achieving nature restoration and conservation?
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IUCN Flagship report. How can we feed the world while achieving nature restoration and conservation?
12 October: 10h30 – 11h10
Location: Learning Zone – Hot off the press
In its 151 pages, the IUCN Flagship Report “Agriculture and Conservation” presents comprehensive and wide-ranging recommendations for navigating what the IUCN Director General Dr. Grethel Aguilar describes as “this paradox of threat and dependence” between agriculture and biodiversity. Join the authors Thomas Brooks and Juha Siikamaki to examine the key conclusions of the Report, with speaker Mathieu Legrix, Head of Division - Agriculture, Rural development & Biodiversity - AFD, Ministère des Affaires Etrangères et Européennes. Moderated by Pascale Bonzom, IUCN Global Head of Food and Agricultural Systems.
Scaling Up CSO-Led Environmental Solutions: Launch of the GEF Small Grants Program CSO Challenge with GEF CEO and IUCN Deputy DG
12 October: 11h00 - 12h30
Location: CS-Conservation Action
Join GEF CEO Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, IUCN Deputy Director General Stewart Maginnis and SGP partners for the launch of the GEF SGP CSO Challenge Program and learn about the innovative ways this program will incentivize, recognize and scale up environmental solutions from CSOs including those from youth, women and Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities.
Zero Deforestation and Responsible Trade: Challenges and Opportunities for Latin America and the Caribbean
12 October: 11h00 - 12h30
Location: CS-Transition to Nature- Positive
Latin American and Caribbean forests are key to biodiversity and climate stability but face threats from agriculture and weak governance. The EU’s new deforestation regulation (DFSC) demands traceability in exports. This event will analyze its impact, strategies for compliance, and opportunities to balance sustainability with economic growth through collaboration and responsible trade.
How do Agricultural Standards measure up to Nature Positive?
12 October: 12h30 - 13h10
Location: Learning Zone Pavilion: Publications Hub, Onsite
Join this session to explore the new report from IUCN Business & Nature, "Agricultural standards and Nature Positive: Benchmarking standards relevant to buyers of natural ingredients, against biodiversity criteria". The author will explore the results of a benchmarking study of 13 standards against biodiversity criteria. Discover how leading standards address themes such as biodiversity protection, habitat conservation, climate action, legal compliance, and community engagement.
https://iucncongress2025.org/programme/how-do-agricultural-standards-measure-nature-positive
Money flows: Funding food systems transformation through agroecology
12 October: 11h00 - 12h30
Location: Virtual Channel 1, Online only
Financing a systemic, multifunctional approach such as agroecology requires holistic, flexible, coordinated, and long-term funding. It is estimated that a ten-fold increase in the current investment (i.e. $400 billion) will be required to create the conditions for agroecology to affect transformation into food systems required to address prevailing global challenges. But how can these resources be mobilized? Is the interest in agroecology translated into investments? This event includes a demonstration of the Agroecology Finance Assessment Tool.
NBS for a transition toward sustainable food and agriculture systems in Mesoamerica
12 October 14h00 - 15h30
Location: IUCN - The Americas - Room 2
In the face of the climate, biodiversity, and social inequality crises, a paradigm shift is urgently needed—one that values the contribution of the rural sector to food security, stability, and social justice by integrating the conservation, sustainable use, and restoration of biodiversity. The session will present the results of previous dialogues led by the Secretariat of the Central American Agricultural Council and IUCN, highlighting Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and regional opportunities, and will advance a common agenda between agriculture and nature. Featuring Pascale Bonzom, Global Head of Food and Agricultural Systems at IUCN.
| MONDAY 13th OCTOBER |
Rangeland Investments Deliver: Viable Business Cases Integrating Livestock, Conservation, and Restoration
13 October: 11:00 - 11:45
Location: IUCN Africa, Hybrid
This session will showcase scalable solutions to restore rangelands—ecosystems vital for biodiversity, climate resilience, and the livelihoods of millions, including Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. It features the launch of discussion paper on the Economics of Rangeland Restoration
Accelerating the Transition to Sustainable Agriculture in Africa: Regenerative and Nature-based Solutions
13 October 12h00 - 12h45
Location: IUCN Africa , Hybrid
Join a dynamic high-level panel showcasing real success stories of regenerative agriculture in Africa, where farmers, policymakers, and partners reveal innovative Nature-based Solutions that boost food security, income, and ecosystem resilience while highlighting investment opportunities and practical models ready to scale across the continent.