Summary
One-third of the world’s greenhouse-gas emissions stem from food and agriculture. To achieve sustainability targets in food and agriculture, carbon dioxide and other emissions (e.g., methane and nitrogen) must be reduced; importantly, energy-intensive sectors and companies must continue to move towards decarbonization. Significant changes to production, processing, and consumption of food must therefore be implemented. Innovations in technology, strategic funding, and dietary pattern changes can play powerful roles in this transition to sustainable food production.
Highlights
Through side events that focused, or touched on, decarbonization, the pavilion co-hosts and partners:
- Discussed widening the mandate of Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture (KJWA) to go beyond agriculture and include food systems. Speakers from government, academia and civil society outlined why a food systems approach will deliver better outcomes for climate, people and nature. Learn more.
- Reported on the progress being made on Pathways to Dairy Net Zero, a global climate initiative launched by the dairy sector last year and supported by FAO. Learn more.
- Examined carbon neutrality and resilience to shocks in local and global agrifood supply chains and systems through four perspectives: resilience and adaptation of agrifood systems; business and greenhouse gas emissions in supply chains; leveraging technology; and innovation to reduce emissions. Learn more.
- Explored the design of possible strategies, opportunities and mechanisms for facilitating climate finance flows to agriculture — which are essential for enabling the implementation of adaptation and mitigation actions — as a way forward for the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture (KJWA). Learn more.
In addition, in an event on climate security, agriculture and inclusive strategies for adaptation, Ireland commended CGIAR’s significant governance and strategic reforms and announced its pledge to strengthen its longstanding partnership with the organization with funding of €14 million over the period 2022–24. Learn more.
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From left to right: Irish Aid Climate Change Special Envoy Sinead Walsh and Food Security Special Envoy Tom Arnold speak at the Climate Security and Agriculture: Stratgies for Inclusive Adaptation event.
Finally, a high-level panel spoke to the importance of AIM for Climate investments in agricultural research for climate adaptation, including those in partnership with CGIAR, that benefit smallholder farmers. The high-level panel included United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack; USAID Administrator Samantha Powers; United Arab Emirates Minister of Climate Change and Environment HE Mariam Al Mheiri; Enock Chikava, Interim Director, Agricultural Development, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director General, FAO; Claudia Sadoff, Executive Managing Director, CGIAR; and Aly Abousabaa, Regional Director for Central and West Asia and North Africa, CGIAR; among others. The panel also announced new AIM for Climate innovation sprints, and highlighted progress made against previously announced innovation sprints and related commitments. Learn more.
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From left to right: USAID Administrator Samantha Powers; United Arab Emirates Minister of Climate Change and Environment HE Mariam Al Mheiri; Enock Chikava, Interim Director, Agricultural Development, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Alongside the event, CGIAR Executive Managing Director Claudia Sadoff met with United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and the United Arab Emirates Minister of Climate Change and Environment Mariam Al Mheiri.
United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack meets with CGIAR Executive Managing Director Claudia Sadoff.
Reel of the day
Videos and photos
Watch recordings and see photos from the events on November 11. You can also visit the COP27 Food and Agriculture Pavilion YouTube playlist to see all recordings from the Pavilion.
Beyond the Pavilion
Official side-events
- Climate discussions often focus on the negative aspects of intensive livestock production, but science shows that sustainable livestock can bring adaptation, mitigation, food security and economic growth benefits. In a UNFCCC official side-event, key stakeholders provided evidence on the critical role that livestock play in addressing climate-related shocks. Watch the recording.
COP27 news
- Livestock are more than just emissions (Foreign Policy). Read more.
- COP27 can help the world achieve blue prosperity: Aquatic food systems, like every other sector, must first be decarbonized (National News). Read more.
- Decarbonization Day begins with a call to action to reduce carbon footprints and transition to a low carbon economy. Read more here and here.
- Unprecedented investments from the United States, in support of clean energy initiatives in Africa. Read more.
- Agreements to motivate and fund mitigation implementation, and to compensate developing countries for loss and damage associated with climate change impacts (IISD). Read more.
- Pledges for loss and damage from wealthier countries (New York Times). Read more.
- Emissions are rising above pre-COVID-19 levels, warning of impending, disastrous climate change impacts (Reuters). Read more.
- Proposals for minimizing climate change dangers include use of green hydrogen, nuclear power, small modular reactors, bamboo, or blue carbon (Washington Post). Read more.
- An urgent need to move away from methane emissions to slow the rate of climate change (NPR). Read more.
