The ceremony launching the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI) was chaired by Mari Christine, Goodwill Ambassador for UN-HABITAT. Hideki Minamikawa, Ministry of the Environment of Japan (MOEJ), noted that the Initiative was brought about in a time of major crisis, and that it will play an important role in research and capacity building.

Ahmed Djoghlaf, CBD Executive Secretary, highlighted the need to promote science and technology while protecting culture and identity. Stressing that sustainable landscapes are increasingly threatened, Govindan Parayil, UN University-Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS), said the Initiative’s purpose is to enhance social and ecological landscapes that promote total wellbeing.

Kazuhiko Takeuchi, UNU Institute for Sustainability and Peace (UNU-ISP), said the long-term vision of Satoyama is to have societies living in harmony with nature. He noted that the Initiative promotes and supports the sustainable use of resources. Jo Mulongoy, CBD Secretariat, elaborated on a number of collaborative activities within the IPSI, including fundraising and supporting and expanding socio-ecological production landscapes.

Mari Christine then introduced member organizations of the IPSI, including Asahi Kasei, Bioversity International, Birdlife International, Conservation International, and EcoAgriculture Partners. Masaaki Kanda, Governor, Aichi Prefecture, on behalf of the partners, noted the need for collaboration of knowledge- and experience-sharing in going forward to preserve biodiversity for future generations.

On knowledge facilitation, Kazuhiko Takemoto, UNU-IAS, noted future work to develop an electronic platform to distribute case studies from members and analyze information. He also highlighted the creation of an electronic forum and discussion site for members to enhance understanding and raise awareness of the importance of socio-ecological production landscapes for livelihoods.

Yoko Watanabe, Global Environment Facility (GEF), noted that there would be opportunities for future collaboration as GEF is currently negotiating a memorandum of understanding with the MOEJ for the Satoyama Initiative.

Yannick Glemarec, UN Development Programme, stressed the role of communities to create and rehabilitate landscapes through the Initiative. He highlighted future ambitions, including: piloting and scaling up successful examples within the IPSI as well as facilitating knowledge sharing and discussion.

Shoichi Kondo, MOEJ, noted that collaboration will lead to a strong partnership and called for continued support of the IPSI.

Marcos Silva, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, emphasized that the information and knowledge management portal inforMEA is one of the largest UN-wide information sharing knowledge management systems to date.

Bakary Kante, UNEP, welcomed participants to the event saying “it’s a dream come true” to have a system through which MEAs can share information, help raise awareness and fill knowledge gaps about what is taking place across the biodiversity-related conventions.

Nick Davidson, Deputy Secretary General, Ramsar Convention, described the MEA information and knowledge management initiative, saying it focuses on improving and streamlining access to information across convention secretariats and MEAs, which builds capacity at the secretariat level. He highlighted two meetings that have occurred on developing and honing the site, saying that a steering committee has been established to act as the main driver of this initiative.

Alonzo Addison, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, discussed the portal’s functionality as well as its technical, financial and manpower challenges, saying that inforMEA has been several years in the making. He highlighted the nuances of the website, including that it has a controlled vocabulary. For example, he noted that if someone from a convention searches under the term “alien species,” the portal will also search for synonyms used by other conventions, such as “pests” and “exotics.”

Melanie Virtue, Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS), emphasized that as a small convention, CMS is very supportive of the initiative and hopes it will improve their technical capacity.

During the discussion, representatives from the CBD, IUCN and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) supported the initiative. The representative from the CBD said it is “no longer rocket science” to harmonize data this way. IUCN noted that both MEAs and related organizations can utilize the tool to promote their goals. The UNCCD representative encouraged parties to buy in to the initiative. The discussion also focused on: the need for more financial partners for the initiative; the possibility of showcasing it in plenaries; and ways in which the site will build capacity.

Doyle McKey, Montpellier University, France, noted the Sud Expert Plantes Initiative (SEP) was created to assist developing countries in defending their rights in CBD negotiations as well as document and understand their plant biodiversity and use it sustainably.

Eric Chenin, Institute for Research & Development (IRD), France, outlined the international masters programme under SEP, which has a mixed studentship from the northern and southern hemispheres and offers a variety of courses from member universities that focus on biodiversity.

Samy Gaiji, Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), noted that in collaboration with SEP, GBIF has established national nodes and assisted in sub-regional support for outreach and capacity building.

Mathieu Gueye, Black African Fundamental Institute (IFAN), outlined a number of SEP activities in West Africa, including the creation of the national herbarium of Mauritania and its support for a study of useful plants for rural populations in West Africa and a study of micro-algae in Senegal.

Vololoniana Jeannoda, Antananarivo University, noted the support from SEP in the Indian Ocean region for the creation of the Comoros herbarium and for providing training on herbarium techniques. She also noted the creation of a garden of most used medicinal plants inside of the botanical and zoological park of Antananarivo.

Somchanh Bounphanmy, Laos National University, highlighted SEP’s support in the region due to knowledge gaps in current flora inventories, decreasing numbers of botanists and plant taxonomists, and limited teaching, research and collaboration.

On the first phase of the SEP Initiative, Eric Chenin noted that positive outcomes included the work encompassing a wide geographic and scientific range with several complementary sectors of activity. He lamented that there were cumbersome financial management processes, as well as insufficient activities on policy work and biodiversity governance.

Participants discussed: SEP’s collaboration with other institutions; broadening SEP’s role in biodiversity governance; needs assessments for botanical gardens and herbaria; and synergies between SEP and other initiatives.

This event addressed the role of biodiversity in contributing to human security and boosting regional sustainable development through a series of case study presentations.

Luohui Liang, UNU, said that agricultural development is critical for poverty reduction and human security. Noting that much of the world’s poor population lives in biodiversity hotspots, he stressed the importance of harmonizing agricultural development and biodiversity preservation. To illustrate this point, he discussed tea cultivation in the biodiversity-rich regions of the Montane Mainland of Southeast Asia.

Liang described how farmers are slowly reverting from modern monoculture tea terracing to traditional, biodiversity-rich tea forests. He stressed, however, that farmers require institutional support so that they can reap the full range of benefits that accompany the transition from tea terracing to tea forests.

Setsuko Nakayama, Kanazawa University, provided a case study on management of a small-scale water catchment in Chindowza village, northern Malawi, noting that the case study formed part of the Satoyama Initiative. She demonstrated how the local community has used traditional knowledge of their environment to ensure sustainable use of terrestrial and aquatic resources. Noting that the local population has intensified natural resource use over the last few decades, she explained that trade-offs between sustainable aquatic and terrestrial resource use can sometimes occur.

Yoshiaki Nishikawa, Nagoya University, addressed agro-biodiversity management by farmers for food security and resilience. He stressed that biodiversity within species is critical for food security and poverty reduction, and noted the importance of conserving genetic resources not only in gene banks but also in situ in farmer’s fields.

Nishikawa then provided case studies from Burkina Faso and Japan to demonstrate the role of local intermediary institutions in helping preserve local genetic resources. Through a case study on hybrid seed production management in Nagano, Japan, he argued that hybrid seed production can provide communities with new "traditional" seed varieties while enhancing community understanding of local resources.

Pablo Eyzaguirre, Bioversity International, discussed the role of regional food systems in ensuring global food security, highlighting that only 100 species provide 90% of human nutrition. He said our transition to “simplified” meals and reliance on global food sources, whereby starches, oils and sugars transport more easily than fruits and vegetables, are causing a narrowing in biodiversity-rich diets and, consequently, biodiversity-rich food production.

Noting that local food sources are better adapted to the local environment and need fewer external inputs, Eyzaguirre stressed the importance of biodiversity-rich food production, which can also help facilitate adaptation to climate change. Drawing on a range of case studies, he underscored the importance of supporting and improving local seed systems.

This event presented two case studies of biopiracy in South Africa and lessons learned for the development of a protocol on ABS.

Kabir Bavikatte, Natural Justice, presented on the application by Nestlé for five patents for the use of South African rooibos and honeybush for improving skin and hair and for reducing inflammation. He explained that the South African Biodiversity Act requires companies who intend to do research with commercial intent or to patent the use of genetic resources from South Africa to enter a benefit-sharing agreement with the owners of the genetic resources and obtain a permit from the government. Bavikatte said research by the Berne Declaration and Natural Justice demonstrates that Nestlé did not obtain such a permit. He highlighted complexities associated with the case, including that rooibos and honeybush grow in countries other than South Africa and that traditional knowledge for many of its uses are publically available.

Mariam Mayet, African Centre for Biosafety (ACB), presented on the pelargonium biopiracy case in South Africa. She described the historical context in which the German company Schwabe applied for patents related to exploiting pelargonium roots. Mayet explained how Schwabe sidestepped the recognition of traditional knowledge to enter into an ABS agreement with a local chief. She said the case demonstrates that national regulation of bioprospecting requires reconsideration of existing provincial laws. She highlighted that, thanks to action by ACB, the Berne Declaration and the Church Development Service, Schwabe announced that it would not pursue five pelargonium-related patents granted to it by the European Patent Office.

Chee Yoke Ling, Third World Network, presented on lessons learned from the case studies for development of an ABS protocol. She said: traditional knowledge and genetic resources must not be separated; the protocol should recognize that communities have their own decision-making processes that would lead to a consent provision; and the protocol must ensure that benefit-sharing arrangements are fair and equitable. She stressed that the protocol must address benefit-sharing for resources that were made publicly available after the CBD came into force in 1993.