COP27: Meaningful progress and missed opportunities on food system emissions
Photo: Carlo “Granchius” Bonini https://www.flickr.com/photos/granchius/2709808416
According to the data developed food and agriculture organizationthe global food system is responsible for Nearly a third of total greenhouse gas emissions. Yet world leaders and policymakers have not identified food systems as a priority for deep decarbonization.
When leaders meet this year in Egypt COP27 Climate Conferencemany observers hope that the role of the food system in global climate change—both a major source of emissions and an opportunity for substantial reductions—will finally be addressed in high-level climate talks.
In addition to wonderful new content to the blue zone and mention food and agriculture in the final draft cover text, what exactly did policymakers promise or avoid during the deliberations at COP27?Did the Conference fully deliver on its Billing as the first “food COP”?
missed opportunity
Heading into this year’s conference, one of the most significant developments related to food systems and climate action centers on efforts to identify a successor Korinivia Agricultural Joint Work (KJWA).
The Korinivia agreement, finalized during COP23 in 2017, was the first time the United Nations officially recognized agriculture as a key component and potential tool in international climate change efforts.
With the KJWA now set to expire, a number of observers and policy advocates have signed an open letter urging world leaders to adopt a new agreement at COP27 focused on implementing the KJWA findings to reduce food-related emissions and help create “Sustainable, Equitable and Resilient Food Systems” consistent with a 1.5-degree climate path.
But many experts and food climate advocates expressed disappointment resulting from draft agreementwhich failed to retain language around “sustainable food systems,” which would help ensure an ambitious holistic approach to reducing emissions from agri-food systems.
This language is scaled down in response to Resistance from G77 Group of countries and others. China wants to avoid introducing new, ill-defined food system references, while the US prefers to focus on supply-side solutions that avoid politically sensitive issues, such as sustainable diets and nutrition.
The result is a new four-year mandate focused on the implementation of KJWA actions, with a narrow focus on agriculture and food security rather than aspirations for a broader food systems approach.
While this mandate will certainly prove important, there are general agreement Many civil society and policy experts believe that COP27 negotiators failed to fully seize the opportunity to reposition the transformation of the global food system as the main tool for solving our urgent climate and food crises.
Other food-related initiatives and developments
Fortunately, there are a few other food-related initiatives and announcements that could be exciting in the future.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Egyptian presidency overseeing this year’s COP have announced Food and Agriculture for Sustainable Transformation Initiatives to accelerate investment in food systems, consistent with a resilient, food-secure 1.5-degree pathway.
Similarly, the World Health Organization, FAO and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition launched Climate Action and Nutrition Initiative Provides planning and technical support to governments, the agrifood industry and financial institutions to design policies and actions at the intersection of climate and global nutrition.
Thirteen countries now recognize and recognize break the agenda, a plan to accelerate the decarbonization of the electricity system, road transport, steel, hydrogen and agriculture sectors. The program aims to increase investment in agricultural research, development and demonstration to address the twin challenges of food insecurity and climate-friendly food systems.
The United States also initiated Global Fertilizer Challenge Help address global shortages related to the Ukraine war.the program Double the initial investment and reach Climate Agriculture Innovation Mission initiative to accelerate funding for climate-sensitive and sustainable food systems over the next three years.
A new roadmap for food system transformation
Perhaps most exciting, however, is the FAO’s commitment Develop a roadmap to decarbonize the food and agriculture sector in line with the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees.
The plan will seek to provide companies, investors and policymakers with decision-informed data and clarity to achieve a just transition within the agriculture and food system.
FAO’s roadmap, due to be released at next year’s COP28, will function similarly to the IEA’s annual roadmap World Energy Outlook analysis, which can help drive investment and policy decisions in the ongoing transition to low-carbon energy systems.
To be truly effective, this new food systems roadmap should be accompanied by efforts to define An Internationally Standardized Greenhouse Gas Balancing Framework for National Food Systemswhich will help countries better measure, manage and reduce food-related emissions.
The accounting framework will also support the ability of governments to design and deliver Strengthening Nationally Determined Contributions In line with the Paris Agreement, food system transformation to address climate change is included.
Citizens and stakeholder groups will also be able to use the roadmap to understand and compare food and agriculture emissions footprints across countries and regions, and hold leaders accountable for gaps in their food system climate action plans.
Following the narrow Korinivia successor, if successfully funded and implemented, each of these initiatives should help further connect global climate mitigation and adaptation efforts to facilitate urgent food system transformation.
judgment
All in all, it seems fairer to view COP27 as the first meeting to fully acknowledge and include discussions on agriculture and food systems at the highest levels of international climate change negotiations.
While the successor to the Korinivia agreement may lack the scope and ambition many observers had hoped for, the inclusion of food-related initiatives on the conference agenda—from the floor of the Food Systems Pavilion to major new FAO programs—reflects concern for the global climate. Important awareness of the inextricable link between the food crisis.
But as with the long history of international climate commitments, the exact wording of the agreement and exciting announcements of new initiatives are far less important than the more daunting work of implementation, coordination and accountability.
Decision makers and stakeholders from the energy, climate, food and agriculture sectors will need to build on the achievements of COP27 to further accelerate new mitigation and adaptation efforts, ensure a just transition, empower small farmers and include appropriate demand parties from developed countries Action countries and help build the sustainable, equitable and climate-resilient food systems needed to meet our future food and climate needs.
Benjamin Ritter Graduate student at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. Kevin Carr is a research assistant at Columbia University Center for Global Energy Policyas a member of the Food Climate Partnership, he focuses on the intersection of food systems and climate change.
This Food Climate Partnership is an alliance of scientists and policy practitioners from the Columbia Climate Institute Center for Climate System Research and Center for Global Energy PolicyThis Agricultural model comparison and improvement projectand New York University School of Environmental Studies. The group supports the work of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on environment statistics.
