Key outcomes COP28 for agri-food Systems
On December 1, the World Climate Action Summit commenced with the unveiling of the Emirates Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action – a pact embraced by 134 participating nations. At its core, the declaration focuses on the integration of agriculture and food systems into countries' Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and national plans, setting the stage for transformative actions in the sector.
In the following we will take a brief look at the key decisions made, recommended actions, and the effectiveness on achieving the outlined targets.
Key decisions
1. Strengthening Resilience: Ramping up support for farmers and food producers against climate change impacts. Prioritize sustainable solutions, capacity building, and innovations for food security while preserving nature.
2. Ensuring Inclusive Food Security: Focus on elevating efforts for vulnerable groups through diverse programs. Tailor research and innovation for unique needs, ensuring comprehensive, sustainable food security and nutrition.
3. Safeguarding Agriculture Livelihoods: Addressing support to workers, especially women and youth, facing climate threats. Sustain inclusive, decent work through adaptive strategies.
4. Sustainable Water Management: Strengthen holistic water management in agriculture for sustainability and community well-being.
5. Climate and Environmental Optimization: Focus on maximizing benefits and reducing harmful impacts in agriculture. Prioritize conservation, sustainable practices, and promoting climate-friendly approaches, including sustainable aquatic blue foods.
Recommended actions
1. Integrated Planning for Agriculture: Engage in broad, transparent, and inclusive national efforts to integrate agriculture and food systems into key strategies, including National Adaptation Plans and NDCs, fostering comprehensive climate resilience.
2. Policy Reorientation for Sustainability: Review and align policies and public support related to agriculture, emphasizing activities that boost incomes, reduce emissions, enhance resilience, productivity, and nutrition, while minimizing water use, food loss, and ecosystem degradation.
3. Financial Innovation for Transformation: Scale up and improve access to finance from public, philanthropic, and private sectors. Embrace blended instruments and public-private partnerships to adapt and transform agriculture and food systems, aligning with climate change responses.
4. Innovation Acceleration: Fast-track science and evidence-based innovations, including local and indigenous knowledge. Prioritize sustainable productivity, ecosystem resilience, and improved livelihoods, especially for rural communities, smallholders, and family farmers.
5. Reinforcing Multilateral Trade: Strengthen the rules-based, inclusive, and transparent multilateral trading system. Advocate for open, fair, and equitable trade practices to bolster global resilience and sustainability.
Effectiveness
Given that the agri-food sector accounts for around one third of global emissions, it is a crucial first step to include the sector in national climate change plans. The commitment gains added weight as signatories represent over three-quarters of emissions. However, broad support was achieved by maintaining accessible entry points. For credibility, specificity in pathways to achieve these pledges and targets becomes imperative, ensuring tangible progress and meaningful impact.
This will require honest conversations about the so far neglected interrelation between fossil fuels and agriculture, the limits to technology and efficiency in maintaining the status quo, and necessary changes in global consumption and production patterns.