Global Fungal Conservation Strategy Launches at COP17
The plan aims to integrate fungi into international protection policies for the first time, addressing a major biodiversity gap.
Updated on Oct. 22, 2026 in Botany
Live Poll
Should environmental protection efforts explicitly include fungi alongside animals and plants?
The Global Fungal Conservation Network has launched a new strategy at the COP17 UN biodiversity conference to integrate fungi into international conservation policies. Fungi are currently excluded from most legislative protection frameworks despite their critical role in ecosystem stability.
Why it matters
Fungi underpin the survival of most plants and animals, yet they remain largely ignored in environmental law. This strategy aims to bridge that legislative gap by establishing a formal international framework for their protection.
Of the estimated 5 million fungal species worldwide, fewer than 5 percent have been formally described by science. This knowledge gap persists despite fungi possessing a total biomass six times greater than that of all the world's animals combined.
The players
Global Fungal Conservation Network
An international coalition focused on integrating fungal biodiversity into global conservation policy and legislative frameworks.
Fungi Foundation
A research and advocacy organization established in 2012 to address the lack of fungal representation in environmental laws.
The details
Fungi have been recognized as a separate biological kingdom since 1969, yet they lack the equivalent protections afforded to plants and animals. The strategy advocates for including these organisms in habitat management plans to support ecosystem health, noting that current conservation frameworks frequently treat fungi as invisible components of the natural world. This effort follows the 2022 adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which sets a 30 percent land and water protection target by 2030.
Timeline
1969: Fungi officially recognized as a separate kingdom.
2012: The Fungi Foundation established.
2022: Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted.
October 21, 2026: Global Strategy for Fungal Conservation launched at COP17.
March 2026: Upcoming IUCN Red List assessment update scheduled.
The Tech Race
This strategy marks a shift to align fungal protection with the 30 percent land and water conservation target set by the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. It moves fungal conservation from a niche scientific pursuit toward an integrated component of international biodiversity mandates.
The strategy initiates a long-term process of updating environmental legislation, which will eventually influence land-use planning and habitat preservation requirements. Stakeholders should track national policy adjustments following COP17, as countries move to harmonize their local biodiversity laws with the new fungal standards.
The takeaway
Fungi are finally being recognized as foundational to global ecosystem health within formal UN policy frameworks. Observers should monitor the March 2026 IUCN Red List update to see if the increased focus on fungi results in a higher count of formally described and assessed species.
What happens next
Signatory participation in the fungal conservation pledge is expected to increase throughout the second week of the COP17 conference in Yerevan.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest developments in plant and fungal research at /science/botany/.
Source note: This article includes information reported by CBC News.
Live Poll
Should environmental protection efforts explicitly include fungi alongside animals and plants?
