COP28 puts Food Systems Transformation on Global Climate Agenda, more than $2.5 billion Mobilized

An intense and successful day 1 at COP28 where food systems transformation was put  on the global climate agenda and more than 130 world leaders endorsed the food and agriculture declaration. Small-hold farmers are at the centre of creating a resilient and sustainable food production system and the funds committed to be mobilized can help in access to innovative, green technologies, less water use, profitable small-hold farmers and better livelihoods. Here are the key takeaways from the Food Systems Agenda:

• 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, Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa, 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.

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.