Head, UK Office, World Resources Institute Europe; Senior Advisor, Food and Land Use Coalition
The coming few months present a valuable opportunity to raise global action and momentum on the set of issues spanning food, climate, hunger, nutrition and biodiversity; we cannot let them go to waste. Not so long ago, in Dubai in December 2023, 160 world leaders endorsed the UAE’s COP28 Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems and Climate Action: a world first, which generated a major focus on food and climate in the world’s press on day 1 of COP28. In the next few months, there are at least three major policy windows to accelerate global action on food/climate/biodiversity: (1) the revision of countries’ NBSAPs and NDCs; (2) the leadership of Colombia, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan as hosts of the coming COPs, and as they commit to work together to drive action across the three Conventions; and (3) the critical discussions to establish a new climate finance goal at COP29. On NBSAPs and NDCs, it is encouraging that a number of countries are doing good work integrating ambitious goals on food into both their biodiversity as well as climate action plans. Of the 160 countries that signed the UAE Declaration, perhaps 40 are making progress on food in their NDCs, the signature commitment of the Declaration; there is an urgent need for others to follow suit. Meanwhile, a few countries are going above and beyond work on their NDCs to drive action in the real economy; as we saw last week with the Alliance of Countries for Food Systems Transformation in Kigali, where Sierra Leone shone for its recent progress and investments made. On the COPs writ large, there are some encouraging signs too. Colombia, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan are working to build a shared agenda across the 3 Rio conventions: an opportunity to put food centre stage. COP16 in Colombia will see a health and nutrition day, to include food; while the Brazilian G20 has driven action on the Global Alliance on Hunger and Poverty, a major step forward, and an alliance which could drive lasting impact. If these countries can come together in Cali, Riyadh, Baku and then Belem setting out a compelling shared vision for the need to act on food systems, hunger, climate and biodiversity, this will be a significant step forward. This then leaves the issue of finance. We know from recent research that between US$200-500bn a year are needed to transform food systems, but so far there is little sign of where and how this finance will be mobilized. There is therefore an urgent need for the world to come to an ambitious settlement in the forthcoming negotiations on the NCQG; which would then enable countries to properly and accurately prioritise actions according to mitigation, adaptation, nature and development needs (including food). In summary, there is a lot to play for: and a focus on food, climate, hunger and biodiversity in New York, Cali, Rio and Baku from now till end 2024 could drive real progress on this vital agenda.
Love this, Edward. We are also working on the Convergence Agenda. Could we talk?
Sustainable Food Systems/ Natural Resources Expert/Founder and Consultant at Food and Climate/Strategic Advisor and Facilitator/Gender and Inclusion/Multi-stakeholder Partnerships/Non for Profit Management
3moBrilliant recap and great emphasis on the need to work across all Rio Conventions for food system transformation. I would just add that all three also dépend on land and forest tenure arrangements to meet their climate, biodiversity and soil restoration goals. Secure land and forest rights for IP&LC will be critical to meet goals of all three UN Conventions and they tend to be overlooked.