Webinar Series: ‘Advancing the Transition to a Pollution-Free Agrifood Industry through Circular, Regenerative, and Bioeconomy Approaches’

Published on April 28, 2025

This new webinar series explores how circularity, regenerative practices, and the bioeconomy can accelerate the transition to a more sustainable and pollution-free agrifood industry. Anchored in the objectives of the 2030 Agenda, the series will highlight innovative solutions, policy insights, and collaborative opportunities to reduce environmental impacts and enhance social and economic outcomes in the agrifood sector. This Webinar series is a collaboration UN Environment Programme, in collaboration with the One Planet Network , the International Ecosystem Management Partnership , and the GEF Financing Agrochemical Reduction and Management (FARM) and Green Growth Knowledge Partnership (GGKP).

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Webinar 1: Advancing circular, regenerative and bioeconomy approaches in agricultural value chains.
6 May 2025

This opening session brings together experts from UN agencies and academia to unpack the core concepts of circular, regenerative and bioeconomy approaches, and how they can be applied to transform agrifood systems globally.

Objectives of the Session:

Clarify key concepts and explore practical applications of circular, regenerative, and bioeconomy approaches within the agrifood industry.
Demonstrate the linkages between these approaches and sustainable consumption and production patterns, with concrete contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Present global and national policy experiences in advancing these approaches, including enabling environments for implementation.
Highlight the importance of a just and inclusive transition that supports biodiversity, livelihoods, food security, health, and equity—ensuring that no one is left behind

Context
The sustainable development of the agro-industry is a critical enabler of progress across the social, economic, and environmental pillars of sustainable development. As recognized in UNEA-6 Resolution 1 on the “Circularity of a resilient, low-carbon sugar cane agro-industry” (UNEP/EA.6/Res.1), sustainably managed agro-industries—such as sugarcane—can become important sources of food, biomaterials, and bioenergy, while contributing to pollution reduction, climate action, and biodiversity protection.

Speakers

Mr. Juan Carlos Vasquez Murillo, Head of the Biodiversity, People and Landscapes Unit, Ecosystems Division, UNEP Nairobi.
Ms. Mónica López Conlon, Programme Management Officer for Biodiversity Economy, Biodiversity, People and Landscapes Unit, Ecosystems Division, UNEP Nairobi.
Dr. Yutao Wang, Professor at Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University.
Dr. Alison Watson, Head of the Secretariat of the ASEAN Action Plan on Fall Armyworm and Integrated Pest Management and Director of the Agrifood Systems CoLab.