(Stockholm, 23 October 2024) The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and its partner, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) Colombia Office with support from the Swedish International Agriculture Network Initiative (SIANI), have published a report addressing, among others, food security and land rights challenges in Latin America. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the impact of agro-industrial expansion, deforestation and extractive practices on food security and land rights in the region and examines their implications for biodiversity conservation. As the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP16) continues, the report’s findings offer key insights into aligning regional actions with global biodiversity goals and will be discussed at a SIPRI co-hosted onsite event on 29 October.
Click here to access the report in English or Spanish.
The annex to the report is available to download in English or Spanish. It contains recommendations for regional and national actors.
Click here to read more about the SIPRI co-hosted event and register.
Supporting the key biodiversity framework principles
The report outlines the complex challenges faced by rural and indigenous communities in Latin America, looking at governance, extractivism and land use, environmental and climate justice, and the protection of nature with a special addendum on environmental degradation and unequal land distribution.
The report presents the collective perspective of the SIPRI–FES Latin American Regional Working Group, a group of 20 climate and environmental experts from 10 Latin American countries. An annex (in English and Spanish) contains recommendations for regional and national actors to work towards environmentally just policies that promote fair land distribution, food sovereignty and environmental conservation in Latin America.
The report emphasizes the need to transition to sustainable agricultural practices, such as converting land used for intensive monoculture to organic production. This aligns with COP15’s principle of promoting the sustainable use of biodiversity resources and supporting community resilience.
In addition, the report identifies the need for policies that secure land tenure and recognize the rights of indigenous and rural communities. It highlights the importance of incorporating traditional ecological knowledge into biodiversity and climate policies, consistent with COP15’s emphasis on respecting indigenous rights.
The analysis details the environmental impacts of deforestation and mining activities, particularly in the Amazon Basin, and recommends strengthening regulatory frameworks to control pollution and restore degraded ecosystems. This reflects COP15’s goals of reducing pollution and enhancing ecosystem resilience.
The report suggests that national and regional policies should better integrate biodiversity considerations into agricultural and economic planning, supporting the COP15 objective of mainstreaming biodiversity across all sectors.
Relevance to COP16: Implementation and accountability
COP16 will review the progress made in implementing the commitments established at COP15. This report provides evidence-based recommendations that could support efforts to achieve the biodiversity targets, including the 30 by 30 goal of protecting 30 per cent of land and sea areas by 2030.
The report’s findings underline the importance of coordinated action between governments, regional organizations and local communities to address the environmental and social dimensions of food security and land rights. It also highlights the need for robust monitoring and reporting mechanisms to track progress towards these targets.