United Nations Radio

With a fifth of domestic animal breeds at risk of extinction, the International Day for Biological Diversity, observed every year on May 22nd, should remind us all of the importance of the earth's biodiversity, says UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Irreplaceable species are becoming extinct at an unprecedented rate. We are losing domestic animal breeds at the rate of one per month. And we rely for the food we eat, on only a fraction of the thousands of plants that have been domesticated for human consumption. In a world where the population is projected to jump 50 percent by 2050, the Secretary-General warns that these trends can spell widespread hunger and malnutrition.

In a message in observance of the International Day, the Secretary-General says preserving our planet's precious biodiversity is essential to development and security and we must support attempts at a solution, such as the Global Plan of Action for Animal and Genetic Resources.

Reporting for UN Radio, this is Gerry Adams.

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