Biodiversity is important not only for environmental reasons, but also for reasons of development and geopolitics. France occupies an odd position: it is both a developed country and a “hyper-diverse” one, especially with respect to the tropical forest of French Guiana; it is therefore one of the few countries to be concerned by questions both of access to and the sharing of the benefits from the use of genetic resources.

In a number of key areas, France goes further than most of our European and international partners.

What is biodiversity?

Biological diversity, or biodiversity, describes the variety of life on Earth, in other words the number, variety and variability of living organisms and the manner in which this diversity varies in space and time. It includes diversity within species (genetic diversity), between species (species diversity) and between ecosystems (ecosystem diversity). Article 2 of the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD, Rio 1992) states that “‘Biological diversity’ means the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.”

Protecting biodiversity - (PDF, 975.4 ko)

Document produced with support from the French development agency AFD

DGM/Global Public Goods Directorate
Natural Resource Management Department

Directorate General of Global Affairs, Development and Partnerships
27 rue de la Convention
CS 91533 - 75732 Paris Cedex 15