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Biodiversity and agriculture – rivalry or a new friendship?

2021-07-21

Like agriculture and climate change, agriculture and biodiversity, and hence food security, are interconnected in both a negative and a positive sense. In this article, our author describes what we know about the links, what role the agricultural sectors have to play in the sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity, and what the transition of agricultural systems which this requires could look like in small-scale and large-scale production.

Livestock farming in Burkina Faso (c) GIZ/Jörg Böthling

By Irene Hoffmann

Irene Hoffmann is Secretary of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment, at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome, Italy.
Contact: irene.hoffmann@fao.org

All contributions

This article first appeared in Rural21 Vol. 55 No. 2/2021 on Biodiversity and is part of a media cooperation between weltohnehunger.org and

Biodiversity plays a crucial role in achieving food security and nutrition for all. Biodiversity also provides regulating and supporting ecosystem services for agriculture, including nutrient cycling, soil formation and rehabilitation, as well as habitats for wild species, biological pest control and pollination. Biodiversity makes production systems and livelihoods more resilient to shocks and stresses, including the effects of climate change. But despite global efforts spanning several decades, biodiversity continues to be eroded; in their 2019 publications, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) provide evidence that many of the drivers that have negative impacts on biodiversity are at least partly caused by inappropriate agricultural practices.

Without changes in production and consumption patterns and reductions in food waste and losses, the agricultural sectors will struggle to meet future food demands. As demand grows, the role of the agricultural sectors in the sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity will become even more significant. Regarding biodiversity and food security, food system and sustainable agricultural transitions are part of a larger debate on the role of farm size in global food security, biodiversity and landscape fragmentation as well as land-sharing versus land-sparing, and have most recently been addressed in the development of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.

The following focuses on terrestrial (mostly crop production) systems, despite the important role of biodiversity and its management in marine and coastal ecosystems and inland waters, and the diverse roles of livestock across many ecosystems.

Biodiversity on which land?

Going back in history, humans have shaped the planet for more than 12,000 years. Therefore, current biodiversity losses are caused not only by anthropogenic degradation of untouched “natural” ecosystems, but also, and indeed mainly, by changes in the intensity of land already modified. Many of the most biodiverse areas remaining on the planet are forests or drylands, covering about one third of the terrestrial area; they are often managed by indigenous peoples under traditional low-intensity systems, including hunting and gathering. Roughly another third of the land area is too cold or dry for permanent human use, or is covered by extensive shrub- and rangelands.

Agricultural land accounts for more than one third of the terrestrial area. It includes diverse cultural landscapes with dynamic and productive mosaics of ecological communities in varying states of succession, and cultural modifications have been continued or maintained over millenia in many regions, often in smallholder systems, where a wealth of biodiversity for food and agriculture was developed and conserved. At least a quarter of the global land area is traditionally occupied and used or managed by indigenous peoples, and in these areas, biodiversity is generally declining less rapidly than elsewhere.

Ich bin ein Alternativtext — (c) Irene Hoffmann

Biodiversity-friendly practices and diverse landscapes as parts of the solution

In the next decade, the agricultural sectors – including crop and livestock production, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture – need to rapidly upscale the best practices identified for managing biodiversity for food and agriculture and for halting the loss of biodiversity within and outside of agricultural systems. FAO country reports on The State of the World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture show that the use of a wide range of management practices and approaches regarded as favourable for the sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity for food and agriculture at landscape, farm and field level, such as landscape management and ecosystem approaches, agroforestry or sustainable soil management, is increasing. However, it is difficult to evaluate the extent to which these approaches are being implemented. This is firstly because, especially in smallholder systems, many biodiversity-focused practices are relatively complex and can be knowledge-intensive, and are context and location specific and secondly because few appropriate assessment methods and cause-effect relationships have been demonstrated, while benefits of practices materialise only in the relatively long term.

There is an ongoing discussion about the impact of practices versus farm or plot size on biodiversity. The FAO report shows that agricultural landscapes can provide habitats for biodiversity and promote connectivity between protected areas and other biodiverse areas.

Farm holding and field size – though different – are dimensions of landscape heterogeneity, since small-scale agricultural systems with high-field border density, buffer strips, hedges and trees provide habitats and can boost associated biodiversity (e.g. pollinators, natural enemies of pests). This is where smallholders come into the game. Globally, smallholder farms under two hectares represent 84 per cent of all farms and occupy around 12 per cent of the global farmland; they were found to harbour greater crop and non-crop biodiversity at the farm and landscape scales compared to larger farms, as a recent publication in Nature Sustainability has shown. Very small fields sizes have a substantial share in the total agriculture of Asia and Africa, but play a smaller role in Western Europe, while large fields dominate in post‐Soviet Union countries, the USA, Brazil, Australia, Argentina and Canada.

According to the June 2021 issue of World Development, large farms of more than 50 hectares represent one per cent of all farms but occupy 70 per cent of farmland.

What agricultural systems transition should look like

Hunger and poverty are most widespread in rural and smallholder settings in developing countries, where the diversity of food consumed is often low. Smallholder farm systems, when faced with population growth and continued poverty can result in increased biodiversity loss, including through cropland expansion into forests that harbour large parts of wild biodiversity. Local subsistence agriculture accounted for 33 per cent of deforestation in the tropics and subtropics over the 2000–2010 period. Expansion also happens in the commercial sectors: large-scale commercial agriculture accounted for about 40 per cent of deforestation in the tropics and subtropics over the same period and 70 per cent of the deforestation in Latin America.

In more intensive large-scale systems, agri-environmental policies should aim at reducing field sizes and the share of crops under particularly intensive management while simultaneously promoting diversification. In less biodiverse regions and low-external input farming systems, intensification is an option for closing production yield gaps without necessarily causing additional decline in biodiversity. This can be achieved through improved nutrient, water and pest/ disease management, and innovative approaches such as precision or climate-smart agriculture; however, care has to be taken to not create threats to traditional genetic resources for food and agriculture and wild species depending on extensively managed landscapes.

Agriculture can impact biodiversity but the intensity and extent to which this happens depends on biodiversity richness, abundance and endemism in and surrounding the intensified area or farm. Even when agricultural expansion and intensification has already occurred, there are ways to enhance ecosystem services or increase productivity through a range of biodiversity-friendly practices and approaches, as indicated above. Where productive ecosystems are degraded, they have to be restored to their productive potential.

Targeting agricultural stakeholders for sustainable use, conservation and restoration of biodiversity

Policy-makers need to balance decisions involving land use for biodiversity conservation and agricultural production, taking into account needs of stakeholders, and identify hotspots of biodiversity as well as potential future conflicts and loss of environmental and societal resilience.

Smallholders are both food producers and stewards of biodiversity. While smallholders’ globally managed land area is small, their numbers are collectively large and their contribution to food security is significant. However, rural poverty rates are high. For this group, which has been neglected by R&D and extension services in many low- and middle-income countries, biodiversity conservation must be linked to food security and livelihood improvements. Such links could be rewarding smallholders for their conservation benefits towards genetic resources for food and agriculture and associated and “wild” biodiversity (e.g. pollinators), and improving market access through public procurement schemes for biodiversity-friendly production methods or specialty markets for traditional foods with higher prices. Policies also need to ensure that agricultural intensification does not lead to reductions in genetic diversity for food and agriculture, and that investments and policy incentives promote diversified agriculture, health and well-being.

The global land area managed by farmers who are not smallholders is significantly larger, and this group, thanks to their relatively lower numbers and often better organisation, are potentially easier to target than local networks of smallholders. Biodiversity-friendly practices need to be up-scaled and promoted through capacity development and strengthening policy frameworks. Biodiversity can be promoted on larger farms by stimulating more biodiversity-friendly management practices, especially reducing the use of pesticides and more effectively using fertilisers, and increasing habitats such as buffer strips, hedges and trees. These farmers operate in the formal sector of the economy where regulation, taxes and incentives take hold. They are also often linked to global value chains, where consumer pressure, government commitments and corporate standards involving zero-deforestation and eco-labelling bring about change. Ecosystem acounting at national and corporate levels and innovative investment could further enhance the links between conservation and production.

Nature cannot afford to rival agriculture. Dual goals of conserving biodiversity while increasing the efficiency and yield of food production can be simultaneously achieved through acknowleding and valuing the full contribution of nature to agricultural systems and engaging with all stakeholders at all levels. Political will and multistakeholder action are key.

The views expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

References

FAO (2016). State of the World’s Forests 2016. Forests and agriculture: land-use challenges and opportunities. Rome.
FAO (2019). The State of the World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture, J. Bélanger & D. Pilling (eds.). FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture Assessments. Rome. 572 pp.
IPBES (2019). Summary for policymakers of the global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. S. Díaz, J. Settele, E. S. Brondízio E.S., H. T. Ngo, M. Guèze, J. Agard, A. Arneth, P. Balvanera, K. A. Brauman, S. H. M. Butchart, K. M. A. Chan, L. A. Garibaldi, K. Ichii, J. Liu, S. M. Subramanian, G. F. Midgley, P. Miloslavich, Z. Molnár, D. Obura, A. Pfaff, S. Polasky, A. Purvis, J. Razzaque, B. Reyers, R. Roy Chowdhury, Y. J. Shin,I. J. Visseren-Hamakers, K. J. Willis, and C. N. Zayas (eds.). IPBES secretariat, Bonn, Germany. 56 pages
Lesiv, M, Laso Bayas, J. C., See, L. et al. (2019). Estimating the global distribution of field size using crowdsourcing. Glob Change Biol. ; 25: 174– 186.
https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14492
Lowder S. K., Sánchez, M. V., Bertini, R. (2021). Which farms feed the world and has farmland become more concentrated? World Development, Volume 142.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2021.105455
Ricciardi, V., Mehrabi, Z., Wittman, H. et al. (2021). Higher yields and more biodiversity on smaller farms. Nat Sustain.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-021-00699-2
Zabel, F., Delzeit, R., Schneider, J. et al. (2019). Global impacts of future cropland expansion and intensification on agricultural markets and biodiversity. Nat Commun 10, 2844.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-10775-z

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Any initiative whose aim is to reduce poverty in Africa should focus first on agriculture. But what kind of investment has the greatest impact? The use of scientific criteria provides some answers.

Visions in agriculture

Video by Frank Schultze and Jan Rübel

At the beginning of December 2018, AGRA's board of directors met in Berlin. The "Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa" panel discussed the next steps in their policy of modernizing agriculture. How to go on in the next ten years? One question - many answers from experts.

"Nutrition is a human right"

Interview with Joe DeVries (AGRA)

Joe DeVries is a breeder – and Vice President of AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa). What are the chances and risks of a ’green revolution‘ in Africa? A discourse between Jan Rübel and him about productivity, needs, and paternalism.

Wanted: German investment in African agriculture

Interview with Stefan Liebing

Stefan Liebing is chairman of the Africa Association of German Business. The manager calls for a better structure of African farms. Jan Rübel asked him about small farmers, the opportunities for German start-ups and a new fund.

Global responsibility: Tackling hunger is the only way forward

A contribution by Lisa Hücking (WHH)

Chancellor Merkel has begun an ambitious European political programme: Striving for compromise in budget negotiations, an orderly Brexit as well as an appropriate response to the corona crisis. Unfortunately, one of her positions that she previously held is nowhere to be found: Africa's prosperity is in the interest of Europe.

Africa's face of agriculture is female

A contribution by Beatrice Gakuba (AWAN-AFRIKA)

Africa has a huge opportunity to make agriculture its economic driver. However, the potential for this is far from being made exhaustive use of, one reason being that women face considerable difficulties in their economic activities. The organisation AWAN Afrika seeks to change this state of affairs.

A partnership to fight hunger

A contribution by GAFSP

The Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) was launched by the G20 countries in 2010 in response to the 2008-09 food price crisis to increase both public and private investment in agriculture. An overview of the programme's approach, results and impact.

Innovations for a secure food supply

A contribution by German Agribusiness Alliance

The COVID 19 pandemic is hitting developing and emerging countries and their poorest populations particularly hard. It is important to take countermeasures at an early stage. Companies in the German agricultural sector want to make their contribution to ensuring the availability of urgently needed operating resources.

News from the starting block: Changeover

A contribution by Michael Brüntrup (DIE)

The region of Sub-Saharan Africa is on the decisive verge of a great development boost in farming: it could skip entire generations of technological development. But how? About possible roles and potentials of digital services.

The communicator

A contribution by Jan Rübel

What do electrical engineering, telecommunications and agriculture have in common? They arouse the passion of Strive Masiyiwa: Thirty years ago, he started an electrical installation company with $75, later riding the telecommunications wave as a pioneer. Today he is committed to transforming African agriculture.

Spiritual mortar for the young generation

A contribution by Jan Rübel

Fred Swaniker is working building a new era of leaders. And what about agriculture? ‘It needs to be more sexy!’

Continent in an uptrend

A report by Dr. Agnes Kalibata (AGRA)

Partnering for Africa’s Century: Innovation and Leadership as Drivers of Growth and Productivity in Rural Areas

Mr. Marí, what happened at the alternative summit?

An Interview with Francisco Marí (Brot für die Welt)

Brot für die Welt (Bread for the World) did not attend the UNFSS pre-summit. Instead, the organisation took part in a counter-summit that took place at the same time. A conversation with Francisco Marí about the reasons, the process - and an outlook for the future

How much do we actually waste, Mr. McFeely?

An interview with Peter McFeely (WWF)

The WWF has published a sensational study on food waste. The focus: farm-stage food waste. Peter McFeely, Global head of communications and strategic planning at WWF, explains what needs to be done.

What is wrong with our nutrition in Germany, Mr. Plagge ?

An interview with Jan Plagge (Bioland)

Vitamin-poor nutrition must become more expensive, in-vitro meat is not a panacea, and agricultural systems should be more decentralised. Bioland President Jan Plagge in an interview about the challenge of (future) world nutrition.

How Can We Feed The World in Times of Climate Change?

A Contribution by Jan Grossarth

Genetically modified bacteria become edible proteins, cows graze on pasture, and no waste is produced in an industrial circular economy. Journalist Jan Grossarth sees a silver lining for the future of world nutrition

Innovation Challenge 2021

Competition for ideas by BMZ

Out of 40 consortia that applied from all over the world, 14 were invited to present their innovative concept on agroecological approaches in the form of an online pitch and to face the questions of an international jury of experts. Find out which six semi-finalists were selected by the jury and what happens next in this article.

The future is rural

A contribution by "World Without Hunger"

The future is rural. Young African entrepreneurs gave their generation a vocie during the G-20 conference in Berlin. "World Without Hunger" asked six of them, how more jobs can be created in rural areas.

'The Doors are Open - We Farmers are Ready'

An Interview with Shamika Mone (INOFO) and Elizabeth Nsimadala (EAFF)

At the UN Food Systems Summit, farmers organizations have been represented on the international stage for the first time ever. Two representatives talk about bridging personal aspirations with the representation of regional needs and international negotiations.

Cooperation and Effective Incentives for Sustainable Land Use

A Contribution by GIZ

The second GFFA expert panel highlights the need for governance action to reverse global trends of land degradation.

GFFA for New Perspectives on the Planet’s Soils

A Contribution by Journalist Jan Ruebel

For five days, the 2022 Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) in Berlin is all about strategies for a more sustainable land use.

Strenghtening Farmers' Rights with Soft Laws

A Contribution by Welthungerhilfe

How the UN Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests (VGGT) contribute to fairer and more secure land access.

What Needs to Change for Africa’s Youth, Ms Kah Walla?

An Interview with Kah Walla

A conversation with the activist and entrepreneur Kah Walla about what needs to change for young people in rural Africa.

Digitalization: The Driving Force in the Future of Agriculture?

A Contribution by GIZ

At the ICTforAg conference in March 2022, the digital agriculture community exchanged on the challenges and opportunities associated with the next green revolution.

Our Food Systems are in Urgent Need of Crisis-Proofing: what needs to be done

An Artikel by TMG

Based on a scientific study by TMG Think Tank, the authors highlight various challenges in the fight against the hunger crisis. The findings show that climate change, conflict and covid-19 are increasing food and energy prices.

"Human capital will play a pivotal role in the transformation of African economies"

A contribution by Ben Leyka

The potential the African food sector holds is still far too strongly associated with the continent’s natural resources, Ben Leyka maintains. He seeks to change this with the African Agri Council.

And a semicolon in the middle

A contribution by Jan Rübel

After a two-year break due to Corona, the doors of the International Green Week (IGW) in Berlin are opening again. From 20th to 29th January, visitors from all over the world can discover, marvel and taste the produce. But the event is not only feasting and fun. The BMZ stand asks questions about where food comes from & where it goes – and in the process becomes a crash test for many habits.

From reaction to action

A contribtion by GIZ

A Year of Multiple Crises: Russian war against Ukraine, extreme weather events, high prices for energy and fertilizer, food crisis had severe implications for food security and agriculture globally and especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. A Transformation of the food systems is needed.

2022, a year of crisis – What does it mean for African trade and food security?

A Contribution by Ousmane Badiane

The Africa Agriculture Trade Monitor 2022 (AATM) was published by IFPRI and AKADEMIYA2063. The report analyses the short- and long-term trends and drivers of African agricultural trade flows, including regional policies and the role of global markets.

How the War against Ukraine Destabilizes Global Grain Markets

A Contribution by GIZ

Since early February 2022, two of the biggest grain and oilseed exporters have been at war. An overview, which countries are affected most severely by the destabilized grain markets, and what comes next.

Controversy: Do supply chains need liability rules?

Discussion about the potential supply chain law

The German government is struggling to pass a supply chain law. It is intended to address violations of human rights, social and environmental standards. What would the consequences be for business? A double interview with Veselina Vasileva from GEPA and economics professor Andreas Freytag.

5 Questions for Jann Lay: What is Corona doing to the economy?

Interview with Jann Lay (GIGA)

The Corona pandemic is hitting economies around the world very hard - but developments in African countries are quite diverse. There are different speeds, resiliences and vulnerabilities. What are the reasons for this? Apl. Prof. Jann Lay of the GIGA Institute provides answers.

Sustainable, feminist and socially just: The new Africa strategy of the BMZ

A contribution by Prof. Dr. Anna-Katharina Hornidge

In the video format "#99SecondsWith" of the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), Prof. Dr Anna - Katharina Hornidge talks about the new Africa-Strategy of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Do import restrictions really benefit the local poor in West Africa?

A contribution by Isabel Knößlsdorfer

Protectionist policies like tariffs supposedly protect domestic producers if they cannot compete with cheaper imported products. Some African countries have therefore opted to impose such import restrictions for a number of products. For the case of chicken imports in Ghana, this study analyses whether restrictions would lead to overall positive or negative welfare effects among households.

Sang'alo Institute invests in farming of sunflower crop

A contribution by James Wanzala

Kenya is a large importer of vetable oils mainly from Indonesia and Malaysia - amongst them sunflower oil. Due to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, there were supply bottlenecks and food shortages, leading to less affordable vegetable oils in Kenya. As a response to the lack of supply, the Sanga'alo Institute of Science and Technology, took that impulse, teamed up with the GIZ and established regional cultivation and refinement of sunflowers.

Farmers' organizations want to be involved in designing agricultural policy

An interview with Kolyang Palebele

Four interviews kick off the relaunch under the new name „Food4Transformation“, asking the same questions from different perspectives. "Women and young people need access to land. And they need financial support to cultivate this land." - says Kolyang Palebele, President of the Pan African Farmers Organisation (PAFO).

Agricultural policy belongs in prime time

An interview with Dr. Julia Köhn

Four interviews kick off the relaunch under the new name „Food4Transformation“, asking the same questions from different perspectives. Dr Julia Köhn, Chair of the German AgriFood Society, points out in the interview: Only if innovation and transformation are profitable in the medium term can they close the food gap in the long term.

BMZ releases video on the transformation of agricultural and food systems

A contribution by GIZ

The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has released a video on the transformation of agricultural and food systems. In the video, Federal Minister Svenja Schulze also speaks about the urgent need to combat global hunger and contribute to resilient agricultural and food systems.

“More of the same is not enough - we need to rethink”

An interview with Dirk Meyer

Four interviews kick off the relaunch under the new name „Food4Transformation“, asking the same questions from different perspectives. Dirk Meyer, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, thinks: less individual solutions are needed, but more systemic approaches. Because in addition to the goals for food security, the issues of climate and biodiversity must also be taken into account.

Unlocking the potential of agrivoltaics

A contribution by Fraunhofer Institute

Agrivoltaics is a concept that combines photovoltaic electricity generation and agricultural production, providing the opportunity for a more efficient land use and contributing overall to the integration of food, energy and water systems. This can be particularly interesting for countries in the Global South, where rural electrification rates are often low and food security needs to be improved.

Partners for change - Network meeting on transforming agricultural and food systems

A Contribution by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development

At the network meeting "Partners for change - Transformation to a food secure, resilient and sustainable future", almost 250 participants from over 20 countries came together to exchange experiences and ideas on the transformation of agricultural and food systems. The final product, joint recommendations to transform agricultural and food systems, can now be read online.

Just change starts with listening

A Contribution by Jan Rübel

Halfway through the 2030 Agenda, the BMZ invited participants to a network meeting entitled "Partners for change - Transformation to a food secure, resilient and sustainable future". Experts from around the world developed recommendations in a consultation process and then consolidated them in Berlin. A site visit.

What is needed for a long-term fertiliser strategy?

A contribution by Michael Brüntrup

The world is currently experiencing a historic food crisis. High fertiliser prices are part of the problem. In addition to the necessary short-term aid measures, the crisis ought to be made use of to develop and implement longer-term fertiliser strategies for sustainable, in particular smallholder increases in production in the Global South.

Think20 Policy Brief centres on Agroecology

Insights from the T20 Policy Brief

Given the urgency of transforming agricultural and food systems, GIZ India's Food Systems and Agroecology Working Group is exploring the potential of agroecology in collaboration with Think20 partners. A policy brief has now been published.

A framework for sustainable and fair agriculture and food systems

A Contribution by Gideon Tups

The guiding orientation framework developed by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) summarizes the requirements for the transformation of agriculture and food systems – and identifies principles and approaches for transformative change.

Stick together and learn from each other

By Claudia Jordan

During the Women Leadership Programme in May 2024, around 20 women from African countries and Germany met again for a one-week workshop in Bavaria, Germany to become fit for leadership in their organisations. One topic that concerns the women across countries is climate change, but also violence against women and their discrimination in agriculture.

Cultivating tomorrow

A Contribution by GIZ

Africa’s largest youth generation has the potential to transform agriculture sustainably. Young entrepreneurs like Febelsa in Mozambique are building agricultural businesses that fuel local growth.

Uprooting the Norm

A Contribution by GIZ

As a passionate social scientist and entrepreneur from Malawi, Ngabaghila Chatata knows that she can overcome any challenge. Her story stands out in a country faced with high unemployment, particularly in its rural areas. As the managing director of Thanthwe Farms, she has set out to inspire the next generation of young agripreneurs – proving that successful business starts with the right mindset, not only capital.

Biodiversity and agriculture – rivalry or a new friendship?

By Irene Hoffmann

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