COP28 Presidency puts food systems transformation on global climate agenda as more than 130 world leaders endorse Food and Agriculture Declaration
Published: 04/12/2023
- A range of initiatives
supporting food and climate action were announced during the first
thematic session of the World Climate Action Summit, featuring by Giorgia
Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy, Fiame Naomi Mata?afa, Prime Minister of
Samoa, Samia Suluhu Hassan, andJoko Widodo, President of Indonesia and
Anthony J. Blinken, Secretary of State for the United States of America.
- More than $2.5 billion has been
mobilized by the global community to support the food-climate agenda, H.E.
Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, UAE Minister of Climate Change and
Environment and COP28 Food Systems Lead, announced during the session.
- Over 130 countries –
representing over 5.7 billion people, 70 per cent of the food we eat,
nearly 500 million farmers and 76 percent of total emissions from the
global food system – have signed up to the leaders-level ‘COP28 UAE
Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and
Climate Action.’
- The UAE and the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation launched a $200 million partnership for Food
Systems, Agriculture Innovation and Climate Action, focused on
agricultural research, scaling agricultural innovations and funding
technical assistance for implementing the Declaration.
- Addressing both global
emissions and protecting the lives and livelihoods of farmers living on
the frontline of climate change are core elements of the COP28 Food
Systems Agenda.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 1 December: The
COP28 Presidency today announced that 134 world leaders have signed up to its
landmark agriculture, food and climate action declaration. Also announced was
the mobilization of more than USD$2.5 billion in funding to support food
security while combatting climate change and a new partnership between the UAE
and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for food systems innovation in the
fact of climate change.
The ‘COP28 UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient
Food Systems, and Climate Action’ (the Declaration) was announced at a special
session of the World Climate Action Summit (WCAS), led by Joko Widodo,
President of Indonesia Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy, Fiame Naomi
Mata?afa, Prime Minister of Samoa and Anthony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
for the United States of America. The Declaration addresses both global
emissions while protecting the lives and livelihoods of farmers who live on the
frontlines of climate change.
“There is no path to achieving the goals of the Paris Climate
Agreement and keeping 1.5C within reach, that does not urgently address the
interactions between food systems, agriculture, and climate,” H.E. Mariam bint
Mohammed Almheiri, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment and COP28
Food Systems Lead, said.
“Countries must put food systems and agriculture at the heart of
their climate ambitions, addressing both global emissions and protecting the
lives and livelihoods of farmers living on the front line of climate change.
Today’s commitment from countries around the world will help to build a global
food system fit for the future,” she added.
The 134 signatory countries to the Declaration are home to over
5.7 billion people and almost 500 million farmers, produce 70 percent of the
food we eat, and are responsible for 76 percent all emissions from global food
systems or 25 percent of total emissions globally.
Endorsement of the Declaration will help in strengthening food
systems, building resilience to climate change, reducing global emissions, and
contributing to the global fight against hunger, aligned with the UN
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Declaration – the first of its kind
for the COP process - stresses the need for common action on climate change,
which adversely affects a large portion of the world’s population, particularly
those living in vulnerable countries and communities.
“Today signals a turning point, embedding sustainable
agriculture and food systems as critical components in both dealing with
climate change and building food systems fit for the future. Together we will
deliver lasting change for families, farmers and the future,” said H.E Almheiri.
While food systems are vital for meeting societal needs and
enabling adaptation to climate impacts, they are also responsible for as much
as a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. Many smallholder farmers in low-
and middle-income countries are also facing heightened vulnerability to climate
change.
Key announcements made at the session today include:
- The UAE and the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation launched a USD$200 million partnership for Food
Systems, Agriculture Innovation and Climate Action, focused on
agricultural research, scaling agricultural innovations and funding
technical assistance for implementing the Declaration.
- The UAE is joining the CGIAR, a
global partnership that unites international organizations engaged in
research about food security, resilience, and climate adaptation.
- COP28 and a group of partners
announced a collaborative effort to offer countries quality technical
cooperation and to help deliver on the objectives of the Declaration. The
partners behind the Technical Cooperation Collaborative pledged more than
USD$200 million in new and newly aligned support, while also committing to
increase coordination across their wider portfolios.
- COP28 UAE, together with the
World Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the Boston
Consulting Group (BCG), supported by the UN Climate Change High-Level
Champions, launched the Action Agenda on Regenerative Landscapes. This
will see leading food and agriculture organizations join forces to scale
regenerative agriculture, transitioning 160 million hectares to
regenerative agriculture by 2030, accompanied by USD$2.2 billion in future
investment, and engaging 3.6 million farmers world-wide.
- The High-Level Champions, in
collaboration with non-government actors including farmers, Indigenous
Peoples, consumers, cities, youth, businesses, financial institutions,
philanthropies and others, launched a Call to Action for Transforming Food
Systems for People, Nature, and Climate, in support of the Declaration and
to highlight the urgent need to take action on food systems by all actors.
The COP28 Food Systems and Agriculture Agenda has four pillars,
covering national leadership, non-state actors, scaling up innovation, and
finance.
COP28 is also working with representatives from every stage of
the food system and agriculture value chain, including farmers, civil society,
businesses, and local governments to accelerate the transition to regenerative
agriculture.
The full list of countries who have signed the Declaration can
be found here.
ENDS
Please click here for a factsheet on
the announcement.
Notes to Editors COP28 UAE:
- COP28 UAE will take place at
Expo City Dubai from November 30-December 12, 2023. The Conference is
expected to convene over 70,000 participants, including heads of state,
government officials, international industry leaders, private sector
representatives, academics, experts, youth, and non-state actors.
- As mandated by the Paris
Climate Agreement, COP28 UAE will deliver the first ever Global Stocktake
– a comprehensive evaluation of progress against climate goals.
- The UAE will lead a process for
all parties to agree upon a clear roadmap to accelerate progress through a
pragmatic global energy transition and a “leave no one behind” approach to
inclusive climate action.
Read more: www.cop28.com