Global Food Issues and Water Security in Focus on the 11th Day of COP28!
Exploring ways to accelerate food systems, nourish the future to sustain our planet, and reduce food waste, the 11th day of COP28 was dedicated to a comprehensive agenda on ‘Food, Agriculture, and Water’!
Stay up-to-date with the main highlights of this Sunday, December 10th, and all the happenings of the 28th United Nations (UN) Conference on Climate Change, with exclusive coverage from the Grupo Myr!
Check out the highlights of the 11th Day of COP28!
Climate change creates severe pressures and risks for agri-food and water systems.
It is necessary to build food systems suitable for farmers, families, and the future.
Because of this, the agenda for the 11th day of COP28 focused on “Food, Agriculture, and Water,” addressing global food issues and promoting water security to keep the global temperature increase within 1.5°C.
Alliance of Champions for the Transformation of Food Systems (ACF)
On this Sunday, December 10th, a high-level session with dignitaries and ministers discussed the paths, modalities, and opportunities involved in implementing the Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action, signed by 134 countries, including Brazil.
The declaration establishes a correlation between climate change and the foods we consume. Its purpose is to improve food security, reduce the vulnerability of farmers to extreme events, and, simultaneously, preserve biodiversity and water.
It’s worth noting that, for the first time, food was at the center of attention at the world’s largest climate conference!
“Food systems are extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change, and at COP28 we are proud to elevate them to the highest level of discussion.”
Majid Al Suwaidi
(Director-General of COP28)
- By 2025, signatory countries intend to strengthen their efforts to incorporate measures that make agriculture more resilient and sustainable.
At the session this Sunday, the “Alliance of Champions for the Transformation of Food Systems (ACF),” a coalition formed by Brazil, Cambodia, Rwanda, Norway, and Sierra Leone, was announced with the aim of helping to reorient policies, practices, and investment priorities to provide better outcomes of food systems for people, nature, and climate.
Read this report and learn more about this topic.
Also read:
- Polycrisis and Climate Risks: How to face multidimensional challenges in a connected world?
- Green Economy: Building a sustainable and prosperous future!
- How does the Circular Economy contribute to Sustainable Development?
Event “Sustainable Consumption, Accessible Healthy Food for All, and Reduction of Food Waste”
According to the UN, about 345 million people face acute food insecurity worldwide, and climate extremes are among the main causes of global hunger.
With this in mind, it is necessary to make food systems more resilient to the climate, which involves a range of different approaches and continuous investment.
Changing consumption patterns, reducing food loss and waste are crucial measures to foster the availability of affordable, healthy, and sustainable foods, while having a positive impact on the climate.
The event “Sustainable Consumption, Accessible Healthy Food for All, and Reduction of Food Waste” involved stakeholders, presenting practical solutions to promote more sustainable consumption habits, encouraging healthier food choices, and reducing food loss and waste.
- International institutions announced a three-year support package to help countries unlock finance and support farmers, food producers, small agribusinesses, and local communities.
Call to Action to Transform Food Systems for People, Nature, and Climate!
On this day, a “Call to Action to Transform Food Systems for People, Nature, and Climate” was also launched, signed by over 200 diverse non-state actors, committing to take ten priority actions to transform food systems and calling for a set of time-bound, holistic, and global goals until COP29 in 2024.
Water-Resilient Food Systems
On the 11th day of COP28, the COP28 Presidency also established a two-year partnership on Water-Resilient Food Systems, which will be hosted under the UNFCCC for Climate-Resilient Food Systems, aiming to assist countries in implementing commitments related to integrated management of water and food systems.
- 15 countries commit to prioritizing interconnected efforts in water and food.
Event “AIM for Climate: Scaling Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food System Innovation”
Among the events of this day, “AIM for Climate: Scaling Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food System Innovation” presented innovations for adoption and financing, showcasing progress made through the initiative’s “Innovation Sprints” platform to drive the Paris Agreement, as well as meet the SDG 2 goal (Sustainable Development Goal):
SDG 2 – ZERO HUNGER AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE:
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition,
and promote sustainable agriculture.
AIM for Climate is a joint UAE-USA initiative focused on combating climate change and global hunger through increased investment in smart agriculture and food system innovations.
Freshwater Challenge
On this Sunday, more than 40 countries mobilized to participate in the “Freshwater Challenge,” demonstrating their commitments in the first Ministerial Meeting of COP on the protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems.
Launched at the UN Water Conference 2023, the Challenge aims to restore over 300,000 km of rivers and 350 million hectares of wetlands by 2030, or approximately 30% of the planet’s degraded freshwater ecosystems.
Sustainable Agriculture: Learn about some Brazilian initiatives!
During Agro Day at COP28, the Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil (CNA) promoted crucial debates on reconciling food security, energy, and climate.
Highlighting Brazil’s essential role in global food security, the Vice President of CNA, Gedeão Pereira, emphasized the sustainable commitment of Brazilian agriculture.
“There’s no discussing the environment without food security.”
Gedeão Pereira
(Vice-president of the Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil (CNA))
Rural producer Ana Carolina Zimmermann, representing rural youth, discussed the challenges of new agricultural leaders in dealing with the energy, climate, and food security crises. She highlighted the positive contribution of producers to environmental preservation.
The general coordinator of Climate Change at the Ministry of Agriculture, Adriano Santhiago, highlighted the role of agriculture as part of the solution to climate change, focusing on technologies and public policies, such as the ABC+ program.
The carbon market was also discussed, with emphasis on the need for global harmonization. Experts, including Ambassador Roberto Azevedo, addressed challenges and opportunities, recognizing Brazil’s potential as a carbon credit generator.
Learn more about this topic by reading this report from the Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil (CNA).
Also read:
- Carbon Market: A global trend for conscious companies!
- Renewable Energies: Opportunities and Risks for Brazil in the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Minas Gerais’ Green Seal Stands Out in European Regulation Against Deforestation
During COP28, the Deputy Governor of Minas Gerais, Mateus Simões, participated in a panel discussing the importance of responsible supply chains.
The highlight was the new European regulation aimed at preventing the import of products linked to deforestation.
The European regulation provides traceability to the deforestation chain, which is positive for Brazil.
This regulation may encourage Brazil to advance in the implementation of the Forest Code, especially in the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR), an important tool for the geolocation of exported products.
The deputy governor emphasized that Minas Gerais has taken the lead on this proposal with the Green Seal Platform.
This platform is already in use, promoting the traceability of agricultural products through official data and high-resolution satellite images.
“This has a very big impact for Brazil. Positive, on one hand, because we now have traceability to verify the deforestation chain and the assurance that products sent to Europe were not produced in deforested areas. But it also brings concerns for Brazil, because we need to be sure that the entire country will not be treated as one”
Mateus Simões
Deputy Governor of Minas Gerais
Learn more about this topic by reading this release from Agência Minas and this other report released by the Government of Minas Gerais.
On December 5th, during COP28, our director Sérgio Myssior had the opportunity to talk with the Deputy Governor of Minas Gerais, Mateus Simões. Check it out!
Urban Gardens, an Example from Rio de Janeiro
On December 8th, Sérgio Myssior also spoke with the Undersecretary of Water Security and Sustainability of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Ana Asti, who participated in the panel “Reinventing Cities: Unlocking Actions for a Resilient Urban Future”.
On this occasion, Ana Asti shared a success story related to urban gardens in Rio de Janeiro. Check it out!
“Today we presented a study on resilience in urban areas, especially the role that urban gardens can play in these zones, where we can offer not only food quality, but a series of other benefits to ensure this resilience. I shared here the example of the Socio-Environmental Innovation Park project in Rocinha”.
Ana Asti
(Undersecretary of Water Security and Sustainability of the State of Rio de Janeiro)
COP28, being held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, continues until December 12th!
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