The Bangladeshi campaigner highlights gaps in biodiversity governance, biosafety and women’s participation, stressing that adequate funding and government–civil society cooperation are essential for resilient food systems.
Bangladeshi campaigner Farida Akhter has called for greater emphasis on agroecology at the UN Biodiversity Conference, COP17, saying sustainable food systems cannot survive without it.
Akhter, of Nayakrishi Andolon and UBINIG, spoke to The Climate Watch at the conference in Yerevan about protecting biodiversity, livelihoods and resilient food systems.
She called for biodiversity to be integrated into policies and planning under Target 14 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and for stronger business accountability for biodiversity impacts under Target 15.
Akhter also said stronger biosafety safeguards were needed to scrutinise genetically modified imports.
Women hold vital traditional knowledge but remain largely excluded from decision-making, she said, highlighting what she described as a gap in the role of women in shaping food and biodiversity policies.
Funding remains “the single greatest bottleneck”, Akhter said.
She also stressed the need for cooperation between governments and civil society, warning that without such collaboration, plans would remain “mere words on paper”.
