How sectors can contribute to sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity

Developments in sectors such as agriculture, wood production, water management and fisheries largely shape the world’s current and future biodiversity, as they exert direct pressures on biodiversity. These sectors depend on biodiversity and ecosystems in various ways to provide food, fiber, wood, bio-energy, fish and clean water for the world’s growing human population. This report looks at  how these sectors can  contribute to halting the loss of biodiversity and improving its sustainable use. It also presents long-term options for the sectors to reduce their impact on biodiversity.

To improve, speed-up and scale-up the integration of biodiversity within sectors effectively, the authors suggest the following four strategies: (1) use integrated land, water and seascape approaches to reap benefits from ecosystem services across landscapes, inland water and marine environments and deal with trade-offs; (2) heighten the attention to biodiversity within emerging voluntary sustainability initiatives such as standard-setting and certification; (3) strengthen the consumer’s perspective on biodiversity by raising awareness of the impacts of different products and of the importance of biodiversity for food security and a healthy diet; and (4) mobilise finance by improving the business case for biodiversity and green investments and shifting sectoral investment flows in a more biodiversity-friendly direction.

This report is one of two background reports to the fourth Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-4) published by the secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Authors

Marcel Kok, Rob Alkemade (eds), Michel Bakkenes, Eline Boelee (Water Health), Villy Christensen (UBC), Martha van Eerdt, Stefan van der Esch, Jan Janse (PBL), Sylvia Karlsson-Vinkhuyzen (WUR), Tom Kram, Tanya Lazarova, Vincent Linderhof (WUR), Paul Lucas, Maryia Mandryk, Johan Meijer, Mark van Oorschot, Louise Teh (UBC), Luc van Hoof (IMARES), Henk Westhoek, Roderick Zagt (Tropenbos International).

Specifications

Publication title
How sectors can contribute to sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity
Publication date
6 October 2014
Publication type
Publication
Publication language
English
Product number
2538