Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has said that reversing ecosystem degradation and halting global biodiversity loss are essential for the socio-economic development and well-being of people, and for advancing global sustainability. He said India is working towards restoring and conserving its rich biodiversity, which includes one of the world's richest mix of flora and fauna.  The Minister stated this while addressing the stocktaking plenary at the UN Biodiversity Conference, COP15 in Montreal, Canada. He underlined India's position that while the goals and targets set in the Global Biodiversity Framework should be ambitious, they should also be realistic and practical. Mr. Yadav also said conservation of biodiversity must also be based on Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective capabilities as climate change also has an impact on biodiversity.<br />'' <br />'' He reiterated that for developing nations, agriculture is a paramount economic driver for rural communities, and the critical support provided to these sectors cannot be redirected. The majority of the rural population in India is dependent on agriculture and allied sectors and the Narendra Modi government provides a variety of subsidies for supporting the livelihoods of farmers. Hence, India does not agree to reducing the agriculture-related subsidy and redirecting the savings to biodiversity conservation, as there are many other national priorities. He also said when food security is of utmost importance for developing countries, prescribing numerical targets for pesticide reductions is unnecessary and must be left to countries to decide, based on national circumstances, priorities and capabilities. The Minister added that biodiversity conservation requires ecosystems to be conserved and restored holistically and in an integrated manner. It is in this context that Ecosystem Approaches for the conservation of biodiversity need to be adopted rather than going for nature-based solutions. The developing countries bear most of the burden of implementing the agreement, but the benefits are global.  <br />'' <br />''Mr. Yadav acknowledged the contribution of the parties towards biodiversity conservation and expressed hope that COP15 will reach a consensus on putting in place the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.