Seven countries secure $5.8million from Kunming Biodiversity Fund to make agriculture more nature-friendly

In a move underscoring the growing link between food systems and nature, several new funding mechanisms have been created to bridge the persistent finance gap that hinders global conservation goals.

One such initiative is the Kunming Biodiversity Fund (KBF) from which the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has helped seven countries secure $5.8 million in grants.

This fund will support projects in Cook Islands, Madagascar, Mexico, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Uganda. The projects aim to make farming systems more nature-friendly and help countries meet global biodiversity targets.

These efforts are part of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), a global plan adopted by 196 countries in 2022 to stop and reverse biodiversity loss. It sets four main goals for 2050 and 23 targets for 2030, such as restoring degraded ecosystems, reducing invasive species and mobilising financial and technical resources.

One key finance target (target 19) calls for mobilising at least $200 billion per year by 2030 from all sources (public, private, domestic and international) and at least $30 billion per year by 2030 in international finance to developing countries. The biodiversity finance gap is estimated to be around $700 billion per year.

To close this gap, countries and organisations have introduced several new biodiversity funds over the past few years. One of these was the Cali Fund, launched in 2025, which channels resources from companies that use digital sequencing information on genetic resources. 

At least half of its proceeds are directed to Indigenous Peoples and local communities, recognising their key role in conserving and sustainably using biodiversity. 

The fund marked a major step toward fair benefit-sharing from the commercial use of genetic resources and associated data.  

Now, KBF represents another major push in this direction. It was created by China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment together with the UN Environment Programme and other partners. It was launched in 2021 during Part 1 of the 15th Conference of Parties to the Convention of Biological Diveristy, with an initial pledge of 1.5 billion yuan (about $200 million) from China to help developing countries protect diodiversity and implement KMGBF.

What will the new funding do?

The latest KBF funding supports specific projects in the seven countries. The projects will focus on the following:

• Mainstreaming biodiversity into agrifood systems (Madagascar, Uganda, Mexico): Aligning national biodiversity strategies and action plans with agriculture, building institutional capacity, improving incentives for biodiversity-friendly farming and ramping up knowledge sharing.

• Empowering communities (Cook Islands): Strengthening data systems (ecosystem classification, biodiversity database), promoting sustainable agroecology practices rooted in traditional knowledge, with special focus on women and youth.

• Managing invasive alien species (Nepal): Community-based and participatory approaches to tackle invasive species that harm biodiversity and local livelihoods.

• Preventing & controlling invasive species (Sri Lanka): Enhancing border biosecurity, training frontline teams, raising public awareness, and engaging local communities in removal and prevention efforts.

• Strengthening ecosystem resilience around Lake Eğirdir (Turkey): Promoting water-efficient agriculture, biodiversity-friendly practices, sustainable livelihoods and raising public awareness for ecosystem protection.

FAO Director-General QU Dongyu welcomed the latest funding saying, “the funding will help developing countries achieve biodiversity goals through sustainable agriculture, strengthen food diversity and support climate solutions.”