With more than 1,300 delegates from 90 countries, the tenth Global Land Forum (GLF) turned Bogotá into the epicenter of international debate on land rights. In this setting, CGIAR contributed its perspective from applied research, participating in the decision-making spaces of the International Land Coalition (ILC) and presenting locally grounded solutions.
Held recently in the Colombian capital, the GLF brought together experts, community leaders, and policymakers to discuss how to advance land rights in a context marked by climate change, inequality, and conflict. Organized by Colombia’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the ILC, the European Union, and Cinep/PPP, the event reaffirmed the central role of land in global debates. As Marcy Vigoda, Director of the ILC, stated, “If we truly want to build a just and sustainable world, we must start with people and their relationship to the land.”
CGIAR was represented at the ILC Assembly of Members, held during the Forum, by Janelle Sylvester, researcher at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT and member of the Coalition’s Council representing CGIAR centers. From that space, she took part in the presentation, discussion, and approval of the Bogotá Declaration, adopted on June 20, 2025.
The document reflects the consensus of 323 organizations from 97 countries and defines four strategic pillars: climate justice and biodiversity; transformation of food and energy systems; locally driven financing; and peacebuilding.
CGIAR’s participation ensured that scientific evidence remained central to decision-making processes, helping shape land policies into instruments of change grounded in technical knowledge. The Declaration also calls for advancing land redistribution, tenure security, respect for local knowledge, and the empowerment of women, youth, and Indigenous peoples.
CGIAR’s role at the Forum went beyond policy engagement. In the technical program, scientist Augusto Castro presented the project EPINER — “Environmental Peacebuilding to Improve Nutrition and Reduce Emissions” during the session “Restoring and Conserving Ecosystems: The Role of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in Climate Solutions.”
EPINER integrates climate action, greenhouse gas mitigation, child nutrition, and peacebuilding in regions historically affected by conflict — demonstrating how research can translate into concrete solutions for communities and public policy.
The Forum made clear that sustainable transitions in agricultural, food, and energy systems will only be viable if built on scientific evidence, multi-stakeholder dialogue, and community cooperation.
Today, the guidelines agreed upon in Bogotá are shaping international debates — including the upcoming COP30 in Brazil — reinforcing the need to connect knowledge production with local priorities.
The Bogotá Declaration places land at the center of efforts to achieve global goals such as climate justice, food sovereignty, and lasting peace. Within this framework, CGIAR reaffirms its commitment to work and contribute to the network as an ILC member and with other partners, building bridges between science and territorial priorities, and advancing agendas that recognize land as a common good, a human right, and the foundation for truly sustainable development.
