Friday capped off two weeks of conversations, high-level meetings and more than 70 events at the first-ever official Food and Agriculture Pavilion at COP27. Throughout the COP, the Pavilion served as a busy hub for the agrifood systems community, working to raise awareness of how these systems are impacted by the climate crisis, and why they can, and must, be part of the solution.

The discussions that took place in the Pavilion—and the commitments made in Pavilion meetings and events, as well as other fora outside the Pavilion—reflect a growing awareness of the importance of agrifood systems in climate adaptation and mitigation efforts. But as we look towards an increasingly uncertain future for planet and people, particularly for vulnerable smallholder farmers, we will need to work harder to ensure that they are centered in climate negotiations and action.

Watch the reel of the day here.

Food and agriculture rely critically on water and wastewater systems, transportation systems, energy, and chemical sectors. This interconnected food system needs transformation to address climate change challenges. Engaging all industries implicated in food and agriculture — government representatives, farmers, researchers, employers, taxpayers, providers, and consumers — will bring creativity and innovation to the effort to deal with climate change. Smart, evidence-based policy will move the food system forward, by promoting agricultural resilience, mitigating further climate impacts, and enhancing biodiversity. Solutions Day brought together key businesses, innovators, and institutional representatives to identify challenges and build the collaborations necessary to devise and implement solutions.

Watch the reel of the day here.

Agricultural biodiversity is essential to human survival, impacting our health while providing income, food, and raw materials. Yet, climate change is threatening biodiversity due to forest degradation and habitat fragmentation. By creating services like nutrient cycling and pest management, for example, we can improve food and water security and mitigate climate change without the need for costly interventions. More effective biodiversity policies could even reduce the risk of future pandemics.

Biodiversity Day sought to mobilize these global actions towards halting biodiversity loss, building more resilient production systems, and delivering ecosystem-based solutions which drive climate change mitigation and adaptation.

 
Watch the reel of the day here.

People have a fundamental right to define their food and agricultural policies; however, existing decision-making processes do not provide the appropriate platform for citizens to exercise this right. As agriculture is the primary livelihood for billions around the world, climate change is a tremendous threat to food security and incomes. Fighting climate change and its associated injustices requires transparency from policymakers and active forms of citizenship. Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) & Civil Society Day encouraged this networking and the development of multi-stakeholder partnerships to ensure that civil society’s perspectives are meaningfully integrated in climate action and policy response.

Fossil fuels remain the dominant source of energy in agriculture; yet, fossil fuels are a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Over-reliance on this energy resource will negatively impact producer yields and consumer costs. Technological developments could instead increase the energy efficiency of agriculture and reduce this reliance on fossil resources. Energy Day explored opportunities for achieving global sustainability via just transition in the energy sector.

Watch the reel of the day here.

Gender gaps persist in agriculture and food systems. Despite a significant percentage of the agricultural labor force consisting of women, women still suffer disproportionately from the adverse impacts of climate change. Interventions in the agricultural sector must therefore support climate resilience by accounting for gender dynamics and being gender-responsive. Gender Day invited discussions and formulated strategies for promoting gender-smart agriculture for food security.

Water is a vital resource for life and livelihoods, and an essential resource in the fight against climate change. Agriculture is highly dependent on water and increasingly subject to water risk; yet, agriculture is a major consumer and polluter of water. Establishing sustainable water resource management will mitigate water scarcity and prepare regions for extreme weather events. Strategies like irrigation management and early warning systems can also decrease grower’s costs. Water Day included discussions for cross-boundary cooperation on combating water scarcity and drought, and improving early warning systems.

Watch the reel of the day here.

The changing climate introduces challenges for agricultural producers, threatening to drastically reduce agricultural productivity, and presents severe socio-ecological consequences. Smallholder farmers are particularly vulnerable to climate change as they lack finances and resources to manage these agricultural risks. A coherent strategy for addressing agricultural adaptation is urgently needed. On Adaptation and Agriculture Day, discussions highlighted short- and long-term adjustments that can transform food value chains and enable producers to take advantage of future conditions.

 Watch the reel of the day here.

One-third of the world’s greenhouse-gas emissions stem from food and agriculture. To achieve sustainability targets in food and agriculture, carbon dioxide and other emissions (e.g., methane and nitrogen) must be reduced; importantly, energy-intensive sectors and companies must continue to move towards decarbonization. Significant changes to production, processing, and consumption of food must therefore be implemented. Innovations in technology, strategic funding, and dietary pattern changes can play powerful roles in this transition to sustainable food production.

Watch the reel of the day here.

Climate change and food security – two of the most urgent challenges the world is facing – are inextricably linked. Agriculture is both a major contributor to climate change and deeply affected by it, with vulnerable people and communities often the hardest hit. This link also means that instead of being part of the problem, our food systems can and must be part of the solution. Investment in science and evidence-based innovations is key to both transforming fragile food, land and water systems and tackling climate change. Technologies and innovations driven by data and science and supported by appropriate and inclusive policies, institutions, and adequate finance, can help farmers reduce emissions, adapt to climate change, and enhance food and nutrition security, improving their incomes and livelihoods.

Today’s youth are the stewards of this work to tackle climate change through scientific research, innovation and resilient, sustainable agriculture. They are also among those who will be most affected by the impacts of climate change as the climate crisis deepens. Empowering the next generation of scientists and farmers, and listening to their voices, are both critical for ensuring that people and planet have a bright future.

 
Watch the reel of the day here.

Over-reliance on fossil fuels and synthetic fertilizers has depleted soil and other natural resources, creating a dependency on imported goods while putting lives at risk. Climate vulnerable communities are disproportionately affected. With limited opportunities for agricultural finance, farmers are not able to adopt their technology to improve their efficiency, nor are they able to shift towards sustainable and climate-aware agriculture practices.

Financing can support a pivot to regenerative agriculture which can ensure food and economic security. Finance Day at the Food at Agriculture Pavilion thus featured discussions, negotiations, and commitments regarding how to implement global climate actions equitably. The agenda scaled up ambition by enhancing resilience of the most climate vulnerable communities.

 Watch the reel of the day here.

Welcome to the COP27 Food and Agriculture Pavilion Daily Recap, providing a snapshot of activities in and around the Pavilion. As delegates and observers to COP continued to arrive in Sharm El-Sheikh, on Monday, November 7, more than 100 world leaders gathered to officially open the UN-led international climate talks. On Tuesday, November 8, Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director General of FAO, and Rajiv Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation, and Claudia Sadoff, Executive Managing Director of CGIAR, officially opened the Food and Agriculture Pavilion.

Watch the reel of the day here.