The world is facing a multitude of serious, interconnected challenges: climate change, biodiversity loss, poverty and inequality, food and nutritional insecurity, as well as increasing conflict and injustice. To face these challenges, we must address the urgent need for more productive, sustainable, resilient and healthy agri-food systems.
The Global Crop Diversity Trust (Crop Trust) and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (International Plant Treaty), will promote action to transform our food systems by hosting an in-person and live streamed Global Crop Diversity Summit on 14 November 2023 under the patronage of the German Federal President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
The Summit will be held at the Französischer Dom in Berlin and will raise political awareness of the important role that crop diversity plays in securing nutritious agri-food systems for us all, and strengthen cooperation among seed banks around the world to increase their impact.
The Summit will contribute to preparations for Climate COP 28 in December 2023 in Dubai, where the Crop Trust will present key findings on the importance of crop diversity for mitigation and adaptation to climate change the negotiators.
Twenty-fifth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA 25) and the resumed second part of the Fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP-15)
Article 25 of the Convention on Biological Diversity establishes an open-ended intergovernmental scientific advisory body known as the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) to provide the Conference of the Parties (COP) and, as appropriate, its other subsidiary bodies, with timely advice relating to the implementation of the Convention. As a subsidiary body of the COP, SBSTTA is to report regularly to the COP on all aspects of its work. Multidisciplinary and open to participation by all Parties, SBSTTA comprises government representatives competent in the relevant field of expertise. Its functions include: providing assessments of the status of biological diversity; providing assessments of the types of measures taken in accordance with the provisions of the Convention; and responding to questions that the COP may put to the body. SBSTTA has met 24 times to date and produced a total of 250 recommendations to the Conference of the Parties.
SBSTTA-25 will consider the following agenda items:
Facilitating the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
Findings from the assessments by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and their implications for the work undertaken under the Convention
Invasive alien species
Sustainable wildlife management
Biodiversity and climate change
Resumed Meetings
These resumed meetings include the:
second part of the Fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity;
second part of the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety; and
second part of the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization.
The resumed meetings will take place on 19-20 October 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya, immediately after SBSTTA 25. The Secretariat is carrying out the necessary preparations; the provisional agenda and its annotations for the resumed Meetings will be made available shortly. See Notification 2023-097 for more information.
The Secretariat will conduct briefing sessions regarding the organization of the forthcoming resumed Meetings prior to the dates of the resumed Meetings. A one-hour virtual briefing session will be held on Tuesday, 26 September 2023 at 8:00a.m. EDT. To participate in this session, please register through this link: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-1pK79SmSoys-mNDBqIf4Q#/registration.
The IUFRO World Congress is one of the largest global forest events, held every five years since 1893. The congress gives a unique opportunity to gather worldwide leading scientists and top leaders to contribute and co-create for a sustainable future within forestry, climate and society – aligned with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The IUFRO World Congress 2024 is a collaborative global network platform with great opportunity for knowledge sharing and getting access to the latest science and research. The outcome of the event will also set the future research agenda and roadmap for next generations, this time focusing on the congress theme Forests & Society Towards 2050.
The congress week gives the delegates great opportunity to discuss the important role of our forests. We offer arenas for innovations, forward-looking dialogues, and the foundations for collaborations.
The world gathers in Stockholm
Meet the collective world expertise on the importance of forests for society, in Stockholm 2024. Take the opportunity to build the future together with global expertise in forestry and climate in connection to the societal development towards 2050.
Leading scientists and top leaders from all over the world.
Co-create and find solutions for a sustainable future.
Focus on next generations and green employment.
A meeting platform for innovation.
Forests & society towards 2050
By 2050, drastic changes are expected through population growth, climate change, globalization and a growing world economy, thus putting tremendous pressure on forests and their governance.
2050 is a landmark year to achieve the vision of Living in Harmony with Nature of the Convention on Biological Diversity as well as the target of net zero emissions. With a focus on forest contribution to the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals, the IUFRO World Congress in Stockholm 2024 will help streamlining the forest research agendas, furthering dialogues and cross-sector collaboration, and promoting the multi-functionality of forests and their services.
Welcome to the 1st International Symposium on Ecological Restoration Practices, the 3rd National Meeting on Ecological Restoration of Argentina, and the 1st Workshop on Ecological Restoration in the South American Arid Diagonal, hosted by the Ecological Restoration Network of Argentina (REA Network). The event will take place in person from 22—24 November 2023, at the “El Cisne” Convention Center in Neuquén, Argentina. It will feature keynote presentations, symposia, and specialized workshops, as well as poster exhibitions.
Aligned with the commencement of the United Nations Decade for the Ecological Restoration of Ecosystems (2021–2030), this event seeks to foster a movement that bridges local, regional, and global perspectives to advance societal and environmental restoration. It aims to engage environmental policy decision-makers in addressing ecological restoration challenges and contribute to the development of technical expertise in the field of ecological restoration.
The Chair for Silviculture accepts applications from external participants for its integrated land use course.
Integrated Land Use Systems (Summer School, 26 June -14 July 2023, hybrid course):
The rapidly growing world population and changing consumption patterns are placing increasing pressure on agricultural and forestry production systems. However, the classic intensification approach to increase yield of food and biomass by genetic standardization, mechanization and application of pesticides and fertilizer, has led to ambivalent results. In many places, negative environmental and social consequences have been observed such as soil degradation, eutrophication, decline in fresh water resources, loss of biodiversity, as well as land-use conflicts, loss of employment, and rural-urban migration.
Integrated Land Use Systems (ILUS), which combine different types of land uses and integrate several management goals, are gaining attention. It is assumed that ILUS compared to classic production systems provide a higher level of ecosystem goods and services, are less vulnerable to the risks of global change and market volatilities, and are better suited to the livelihood strategies of rural populations. However, despite these promises, in practice, ILUS still play an only minor role in most agricultural landscapes. Against this backdrop, this module intends to carefully reflect about the economic, social and environmental features of important ILUS and possibilities for broader diffusion.
Course aim:
One goal is to familiarize participants with important ILUS (e.g., agroforestry systems) by gaining up to date expert knowledge. The second major goal is to train competencies in the analysis of ecological, social and economic foundations and effects of ILUS. The participants will be organized into small working groups to conduct in-depth analyses on selected ILUS issues, taking into account different geographical regions, socioeconomic settings and production objectives.
To prepare the groups for this task, experts introduce into key aspects of ILUS from technical, environmental and economic perspectives, and present relevant insights from South-America, Africa, Asia and Europe. Furthermore, excursions to the surroundings of Freiburg will provide practical insights about the relevance, potentials and challenges related to the application of ILUS. Based on this input, the participants will gradually develop their group work, which will be presented and discussed at the end of of the module.
After completing the course students are able to
describe and classify different types of ILUS,
explain the history of ILUS and particularly their recent emergence as possible and more sustainable alternatives to commercial tree and crop monocultures,
analyse the performance and potential of ILUS with respect to environmental, economic and sociocultural considerations,
relate ILUS to specific issues and processes including contribution to food security, economic growth, watershed protection and biodiversity conservation, and
critically reflect about the implications of ILUS in sustainable land use and rural livelihoods.
Target Group:
The module is designed for international graduate students,consultants and land use professionals, as well as for young scientists working in the field of forest, agricultural, and environmental sciences, geography, rural development, land use planning, landscape ecology and other related fields of natural resource management. The programme is open for applications from all countries.
Further information:
Scientific Coordinators
Prof. Dr. Dietrich Schmidt-Vogt, Dr. Sabine Reinecke
Type
Continuing Education Course
Organizer
Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, Chair of Silviculture in cooperation with external experts
This course will be useful for
Graduates of forestry and land use programmes, researchers and PhD students, consultants and land use professionals
Prerequisites for participation
University degree related to agriculture or forestry (minimum 30 ECTS in specific modules), a minimum of two years working experience in a related sector, excellent English language skills
Format
Three week full time seminar (Monday to Friday 9am-5pm), hybrid (i.e. presence in Freiburg expected from 03-11 July, with excursions)
Dates
26 June – 14 July 2023
Certificate
Participants of the course will receive a Qualified Participation Certificate
Credit points
5 CP according to the ECTS (if the voluntary oral exam is passed)
Location
Tennenbacher Straße 4
Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
Application Deadline
25 May 2023 (first come first served if eligible)
Course Fee
450 Euro for hybrid option with excursions and lunch (an invoice will be sent after acceptance of the application), excluding costs for accommodation, food and travel
Scholarships
There are no scholarships available for the course and no logistical support for travel or accommodation. Interested participants are requested to look for their own sources of funding.
Freiburg:
Freiburg, “the green city” is a traditional but at the same time also a very young and dynamic university city. It is located close to the black forest, France and Switzerland and is considered to be one of the most attractive cities in Germany – especially in summer.
Many sustainability initiatives originated in Freiburg, and it is one of the European centres of renewable energy development and sustainability research.
The Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg was founded in 1457 and is one of the oldest universities in Germany. Students can choose from over 150 programmes at 11 faculties. At present, 25,000 students are enrolled.
Each year, CIFOR-ICRAF hosts a weeklong event that brings its staff worldwide together to sustain institution-wide engagement with the critical global problems the organization addresses.
For the first time, some sessions by prominent scientists and leaders from the organisation, including CIFOR-ICRAF’s new CEO Eliane Ubalijoro, are available to the public to attend virtually. This year’s theme is ‘Equity in Action’, providing a unique opportunity to learn about CIFOR-ICRAF’s commitment to equity and inclusion and how its work addresses the global challenge of inequity in all its work with and for communities, partners and governments.
The following sessions will be publicly available to stream on this page and YouTube. Don’t miss the chance to learn more about how CIFOR-ICRAF engages with equity as a moral imperative in its work, the impacts it expects and more.
We will host this virtual community gathering on the topic ‘Rewilding Gardens: Bringing nature home’ on Wednesday, May 17th at 5:00PM CET/4:00PM BST/8:00AM PDT. The duration of the event will be of 90 minutes.
The Rewilding Community of Practice aims to build a network of rewilding enthusiasts and professionals who can exchange ideas and information to help build a better world.
This is a fantastic opportunity for budding and more experienced rewilders to learn more about creating beautiful, resilient gardens – and how to attract bees and other insects – from four experienced practitioners who take different approaches to but all share a passion for creating wild gardens in which biodiversity is thriving .
We hope you will join us in our effort to scale our collective impact and rewild our planet!
The Speakers
Chris d’Agorne (How to Rewild), Brandy Williams (Garden Butterfly), Wankja Ferguson (Vlinder er Bij Natuurtuin), Eva Makandi (Light On A Hill)
Chris d’Agorne, Founder of How to Rewild
Chris is the Communications Lead at Ecosulis, which works to deliver nature-positive solutions for partners such as the Wildlife Trusts, Environment Agency, and Severn Trent Water. Chris comes from a family of ecologists and has a mosaic of experience across wildlife TV production, genetic research, teaching, photography and web design. They founded howtorewild.co.uk in 2021, a website that guides landowners through rewilding projects and has since applied this rewilding theory on a 3.5-acre field in Somerset. Chris continues to share insights from scientific articles and practical experience for Ecosulis and How to Rewild.
Brandy Williams, Founder of Garden Butterfly
Brandy Williams founded Garden Butterfly, a boutique landscape company focused on creating small-scale and highly-curated ecologically friendly gardens and pollinator habitats in the Los Angeleas area. Brandy’s creations include botanically diverse succulent, native and drought-tolerant mosaics for residential and commercial landscapes. Her work blends horticultural expertise with an artist’s eye to create permanent gardens and bespoke installations. Featured on LA Times, KCRW, KTLA and the Theodore Payne Foundation Native Plant Garden Tour, Garden Butterfly is on a mission to show Los Angeles that it can be a more beautiful, environmental and pollinator-friendly city.
Wankja Ferguson, Founder of Vlinder er Bij Natuurtuin
A landscape ecologist by training, Wankja has over 30 years of experience in ecological design, planting, and general nature conservation work. For the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) she worked on projects in nature conservation in her home country the Netherlands and places such as Kenya and Chili. She now heads Vlinder er Bij Natuurtuin, a design and ecological gardening firm focusing on animal-friendly gardens. Wankja focuses on creating garden environments honouring the relationships between plants and wildlife such as bee-friendly gardens lush with edible wild plants.
Eva Makandi, Founder of Light On A Hill
Eva Makandi is a community developer and peacebuilder and holds a BSC in community development. She is the founder of the Light On A Hill (LOAH), a community-based organization focusing on environmental conservation/restoration, as well as on education and talent development. She was named a 2022 Global Landscapes Forum Restoration Steward and is a 30 under 30 class of 2022 fellow of the North American Association of Environmental Education (NAAEE).
Wild Garden: Featured project of Katie van Munster – one of the Rewilding Community of Practice members – and presented by Wild Garden members Lori Eich and Kelsey Kaszas
Wild Garden is a tool that helps everyday people transform their gardens into something both wild and beautiful, full of native plants and wildlife. They aim to enhance the world’s biodiversity, one garden at a time.
Following the speakers’ conversation, there will be time for questions from the audience. The event will be a participatory event taking place on Zoom. The Zoom link to join the event will be shared with all ticket holders via email on the day of the event.
Join us at the Open Innovation Challenge Webinar on 2 February 2023 at 10:00 CET. The webinar intends to engage with anyone interested in applying for the Open Innovation Challenge by providing valuable insights on how to apply, the documents needed, grants, and benefits.
During the webinar, we will discuss how to apply for the competition and what the benefits are for the solution providers. Check out the agenda:
10:00–10:15 | Introduction: Bioregions Facility and Open Innovation Challenge
If you have any questions, please email bioregions@efi.int, and we might answer your question at the webinar.
The Open Innovation Challenge (OIC) calls for innovative bioeconomy solutions. Start-ups, companies, organizations and universities are welcome to apply and present their innovative solutions – at any stage of development.
