Food Tank’s Dispatch from the U.N. Climate Change Conference is a special newsletter series running daily during COP27. To make sure it lands straight in your inbox and to be among the first to receive it, subscribe to Food Tank’s newsletter now by clicking here.
Today is Agriculture and Adaptation Day here at COP27—a long overdue recognition of the critical importance of food systems as a climate solution.
We know the costs of inaction. We also know many solutions for more sustainable and equitable food systems. We need implementation.
Yesterday, speakers shared different pathways for doing so, including how to measure progress and boost effective food system solutions already at work. Many agreed that we must take a holistic approach to food system transformation.
H.E. Fridolin Besungu Cardinal Ambongo, Archbishop of Kinshasa, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, told me that “it is not enough to produce food. We need a new mindset.”
Policies and mandates must look more holistically at the entire food system—not just agriculture—to better serve people and planet. This includes better compensating farmers for their work, rethinking subsidy programs, and encouraging private sector investment across sectors.
“Food is not like energy or transport. It’s a very complex system. Food means different things to different people, different cultures,” says Zitouni Ould-Dada, Deputy Director at the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, on a UNFCCC panel. (Watch the replay HERE.)
We need to stop talking and start doing—and this is especially true now.
As EAT Founder Gunhild Stordalen told me today: “Let’s all be very vocal about getting food systems into the outcome documents of this COP.”
Here are some other important takeaways from COP27 negotiations and discussions:
A brutal reality came to light yesterday: Global fossil fuel emissions will most likely reach a record high in 2022, according to new data from the Global Carbon Project. Researchers say emissions do not yet show signs of declining.
“On our current course, without massive cuts in emissions, we’re going to exhaust our remaining carbon budget very, very quickly,” Pierre Friedlingstein, a climate scientist at the University of Exeter, told the New York Times.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden took the stage at COP27 with a call to global leadership.
“Everyone has to act,” President Biden said. “It’s a duty and responsibility of global leadership. Countries that are in a position to help should be supporting developing countries so they can make decisive climate decisions.”
According to President Biden, there’s a business case for climate action: “We’re proving good climate policy is good economic policy.” (You can listen to his entire talk here.)
Today is packed full of exciting Food Tank-convened discussions. This morning, I’m heading to the Nature Zone Pavilion to talk about Scaling Regenerative Food Systems as a Climate Solution (11:00AM EET, 4:00AM ET, 1:00AM PT) with Rt Hon Lord Benyon, Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, United Kingdom; Darci Vetter, The Nature Conservancy; Ezgi Barcenas, AB InBev; Marilyn Hershey, U.S. Farmers and Ranchers in Action (USFRA) and Pennsylvania Dairy Farmer; Estrella Penunia-Banzuela, Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development; Purvi Mehta, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; and Fabio Luiz Guido, Itau Unibanco.
I’ll be at the Food Systems Pavilion this afternoon talking about how food and agriculture systems can achieve the NDCs while meeting the needs of eaters and policy, as well as ways to build nutrient-dense global food systems. Featured speakers across four incredible panels include: Martina Fleckenstein, WWF International; Saswati Bora, The Nature Conservancy; Sara Farley, The Rockefeller Foundation; Lee Recht, Aleph Farms; Patty Fong, Global Alliance for the Future of Food; Million Belay, AFSA; Greg Garrett, Access to Nutrition Initiative; Josephine Okojie, BusinessDay, Food and Agriculture Writers of Nigeria (FAWON); Monica Yator, Indigenous Women and Girls Initiative; David Brandes, Planetary; Jillian Semaan, Ketchum; Michelle Tigchelaar, Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University; Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation, Government of Egypt; Hanneke Faber, Unilever; and Mansi Shah, Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA). You can tune in live HERE.
And I’m so excited for a very special screening of the film “Food 2050″ tonight at Buddha-Bar Sharm El-Sheikh starting at 6:00PM (Naama Bay). The screening will begin promptly at 7:00PM followed by a panel discussion. During the screening, you will experience a multi-course, sustainability-focused Asian-fusion menu curated by Executive Chef Arnold. Luminary speakers include Tom Leach, Media RED; Sara Farley, The Rockefeller Foundation; Rupa Marya, Physician and Author of Inflamed; and Matte Wilson, Director, Sicangu Food Sovereignty Initiative (SFSI). If you’re at COP27 in person, we would be thrilled for you to join us for dinner and the screening, co-hosted by The Rockefeller Foundation and Media RED. (Register HERE).
Once again, here is Food Tank’s full schedule of events at COP27 so you can continue to follow along. I’ll be sharing my personal highlights, roundup articles, key takeaways, and events you can’t miss all next week.
I’m grateful to have you along for this journey!
What I’m Thinking About as COP27 Negotiations Continue:
- Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), says the outcome of COP27 will be crucial not just in terms of tackling the climate crisis but to help ensure a future for nature. She hopes for “a Paris moment for biodiversity” at COP15 in Montreal in December. (Read more on The Guardian.)
- The Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate, which is led by the United States and the United Arab Emirates to help agriculture adapt to climate change and reduce emissions through innovation, has doubled investment commitments to US$8 billion. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack says there is “tremendous opportunity” to reduce emissions from agriculture with innovation. (Read more on US News.)
Powerful Quotes from Today’s Discussions:
- “We have to pay for the ecological services the farmers are rendering for us because they are the stewards of the land.” — Berry Marttin, Board of Directors, Rabobank
- “Soil is life-giving. Happy soil gives a happy crop. When you eat a happy crop…then you’re happy.” — Anastasia Mbatia, Senior Technical Manager Agriculture, Farm Africa
Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.
Photo courtesy of Erik Aquino, Unsplash
