Presenting nutrition and biodiversity as a single issue is one of the main rationales of the Cross-Cutting Initiative on Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition, which is led by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with Bioversity International. The overall aim of this initiative is to promote the sustainable use of biodiversity in programmes contributing to food security and human nutrition, and thereby raise awareness of the importance of this link for sustainable development.
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has proposed a suite of indicators to measure progress towards its 2010 biodiversity targets. Support to the delivery of the indicators is being provided by the 2010 Biodiversity Indicators Partnership (2010 BIP), a group of more than 40 international agencies coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme – World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP–WCMC). It was within this framework and through this support that FAO held an expert consultation for the development of the second nutrition indicator for biodiversity and food consumption. This second indicator is the complement to the first nutrition indicator on biodiversity and food composition. The development of indicators, tools and methodologies to measure and monitor biodiversity-related food composition and food consumption is critical in promoting sustainable diets.
The second nutrition indicator for biodiversity is related to food consumption. It aims to report on progress regarding food consumption for biodiversity and will help us value and preserve our planet's existing biodiversity within well-managed ecosystems, with their sources of nutritionally-rich foods.
Publication Details
- Published: 2011
- Publisher: FAO