COP28: UK joins 133 other countries in pledge for action on food system transformation
Agriculture and food are playing a central role at this year’s Conference of the Parties (COP), with a declaration entitled the "COP28 UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems and Climate Action" being signed by the UK and 133 other countries worldwide.
On 1 December, COP28 was opened by King Charles and is due to conclude on 12 December. Each day is themed with a focus on agriculture on 10 December, during which there will be a high-level session to discuss the implementation of this agricultural declaration.
This event aims to agree on a roadmap for the implementation of these deliverables through 2025 including the launch of a COP28 "climate policy toolkit for food" that will support signatories of the Declaration in accelerating its implementation. Progress will be measured next year at COP29 when a view will be taken on the next steps.
Declaration key points
With a range of objectives covering environmental and societal benefits such as adaption to climate change through financial and technical solutions, integrated water management and reducing food loss and waste, the Declaration [PDF] commits signatories to strengthening their efforts for collaboration to deliver the following:
- The integration of agriculture and food systems into National Adaptation Plans, Nationally Determined Contributions, Long-term Strategies, National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans, and other related strategies.
- Agriculture already features in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' third National Adaption Programme [PDF] published in July 2023 through the incorporation of climate change adaption into the design of the Environmental Land Management and other government funding for the industry.
- Policies and public support for agriculture and food systems to promote activities which increase incomes, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and bolster resilience, productivity, livelihoods, nutrition, water efficiency and human, animal and ecosystem health while reducing food loss and waste, and ecosystem loss and degradation.
- Scaling up and enhancing a range of finance including public, private and philanthropic to adapt and transform agriculture and food systems to respond to climate change.
- Accelerating and scaling science and evidence-based innovations which increase sustainable productivity and production of agriculture and related emerging domains, promote ecosystem resilience and improve livelihoods.
- Strengthening the multilateral trading system which has the World Trade Organisation at the centre.
Keep an eye out for further updates from AIC over the next week.
EFRA Committee Soil Health report published
To coincide with World Soil Day on 5 December, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee published its Soil Health report.
AIC is cited in the report, having contributed to the Committee's call for evidence earlier in the year.
AIC welcomes the report's conclusions - in particular the need to prioritise the alignment of soil alongside air and water for funding and monitoring, the push for the publication of the National Action Plan for Sustainable Use of Pesticides and the Land Use Framework and the recognition of the complexities of soil health and need for flexibility in its management.
Author
Vicky Robinson
Vicky Robinson is Head of Sustainability and is responsible for leading and co-ordinating AIC's work on sustainability.
