Three robust events brought the Pavilion to a strong conclusion as co-hosts and partners gathered one final time in the space: 

FAO held an event that displayed participatory approaches such as farmer field schools, Digital Agriculture Innovation Hubs, and innovative, practical solutions brought forward via intergenerational collaboration by young family farmers in the context of the UN Decade of Family Farming (2019—2028) as successful pathways empowering farmers, in particular women and youth, and unleashing their innovation and creativity for climate and community action across many farming systems.

CGIAR held a collaborative event that brought together some key initiatives in the field, which share a common goal of enhancing climate resilience and leveraging data-driven solutions for agrifood systems. Central to the discussions was the importance of accessible climate and weather data systems, essential for informed decision-making and empowering agriculture, disaster risk reduction, and creating market systems that ensure a sustainable and resilient future.

The Rockefeller Foundation hosted an event that considered what can be said of the “state of science” for regenerative and agroecological production systems, looking across different knowledge types from diverse stakeholders – farmers, scientists, Indigenous land stewards, companies, and others – and the critical priorities to ensure that these transitions deliver benefits not just for climate and nature, but for producers, landscape stewards, and communities. 

While the walkways and corridors at COP28 were quieter, activity continued apace at the Pavilion, with a full slate of events covering a range of issues. Attendees engaged in dialogue on digital solutions for climate-smart agriculture, actionable strategies for restorative agriculture and nature-based solutions to address climate change and food systems challenges, and on issues related to mountains, with perspectives from youth and Indigenous Peoples, among others. On the last full day of programming, participants were also keeping an eye out for news from the negotiations.

With the theme of the day aligning with the theme of the Pavilion, engaged audiences turned out for a particularly robust series of thought-provoking events: 

IFAD held an event that looked at innovative approaches to financing and private sector involvement. It brought together key stakeholders from the public and private sectors, academia, NGOs, and international organizations to explore effective strategies for financing food system transformation, focusing on the advantages of blended finance and private sector engagement.

FAO held an event that provided a space for exchange on system-level approaches to adaptation in agrifood systems, highlighting country achievements on the journey from planning NAPs and NDCs to implementing transformative action. It launched FAO’s latest collection of success stories on implementing solutions for climate change adaptation.

The Rockefeller Foundation hosted an event that introduced the Regenerative Food Systems Outcome Framework Zero Draft. The Framework is a holistic, consultative, and farmer- and landscape steward-centric set of measures being developed in consultation and dialogue with farmer organizations, indigenous organizations, landscape initiatives, academia, and businesses to best understand and reflect the changes that occur on farms and across landscapes over time. 

CGIAR held an event that discussed pathways toward climate-friendly food systems, focusing on the role that alternative proteins and food waste reduction can play in achieving responsible consumption, and on genetic innovation, agroecology, and appropriate use of fertilizers for sustainable production. It also delved into the enabling environment needed to accelerate the uptake of these innovations, including existing barriers and the policy frameworks, incentives, and investment needed to remove them.

Today’s themes, on nature, land use, and oceans, have close connections to food and agriculture, a fact that was evident in the programming presented at the Pavilion. As full Pavilion audiences heard about landscape regeneration, ecosystem restoration, nature-based solutions, and soil management and irrigation throughout the day, discussions turned to how to move solutions from practice and planning to scaling and action in order to achieve common goals. Audiences considered the importance of ensuring a common vision, costs and benefits of transitions, and harmonizing tools and methods to track progress. 

The Pavilion also hosted numerous high-level events and meetings, bringing in expert voices from a variety of perspectives to delve into issues around gaps in scientific knowledge, the importance of diverse perspectives in identifying and solving problems, and how tools and approaches are helping deliver change. 

As the second week of COP28 began, focus throughout the conference shifted to the future: to youth and laying the groundwork for greater entrepreneurship and innovation that will be necessary to address global challenges. At the Pavilion, the theme was interpreted in a series of thought-provoking events which ran from creative to high-level. Solutions and insights drew from the energy of the youth to the wisdom of indigenous communities and smallholder farmers. At the halfway point for the conference, the day also allowed space for attendees to pause and ask themselves, what will success from COP28 look like? Where do we go from here?

One of the day’s themes, multilevel action, recognized the many levels of governance and engagement from other sectors needed to address the climate crisis. This engagement was visible in Pavilion activities, which drew on a wide range of voices, from youth to ministers; knowledge sources, from indigenous communities to governments; and sectors, from the drylands of the Sahel to aquatic food systems. With high engagement in the Pavilion’s event space and conversation areas throughout the day, this one slice of COP28 experiences showcased the interest in and importance of listening to these many voices, and drawing on this array of knowledge to identify solutions to climate change.

Climate change, agriculture, and food systems are inextricably linked, and as a result, development challenges for each of these issues are connected to and impact on the others. This interconnectedness was evident throughout conversations and events at the Pavilion on Day 6, as energy, industry, just transitions, and indigenous peoples were highlighted as the themes for the day at COP28. From industrial food systems, to livestock emissions and diet considerations, to testing and scaling low-emission food system technologies, event attendees heard a wide variety of perspectives as we collectively work to identify solutions that work across different contexts. 

Support to countries as they work to meet their national and global climate commitments also received a great deal of attention, with the launch of a new tool and a presentation on how gaps in the path to achieving these critical goals can be bridged.  

Today’s COP28 themes were well represented at the Pavilion throughout the day. From a session on integrating gender and nutrition metrics into climate policies and a presentation on a Gender Transformative Mechanism, to conversations on climate finance that included voices not often heard in this space and on ensuring climate funds better address the needs facing those in fragile and conflict-affected settings, serious discussions around actions needed in these spaces reverberated among presenters and participants in the events and conversations that ensued.

On the third day of event programming in the Pavilion: 

An event hosted by IFAD delved into the importance of multistakeholder processes that enable diverse community-led actions for a sustainable food future. Learn more.
An event hosted by FAO presented the advances of the Initiative on Climate Action and Nutrition (I-CAN).

CGIAR hosted the launch event of its MENA Regional Climate Security Hub, and explored the interactions between climate change, peace, and mobility. 

An event hosted by The Rockefeller Foundation shared observations on the low-carbon food market, based on three years of working with the agroecological food distribution network in Belém, the second largest Amazonian capital.

An event hosted by CGIAR showcased integrated farming innovations for the MENA region and the global drylands.

An event hosted by FAO drew attention to the role food loss and waste (FLW) reduction can play in climate change mitigation and adaptation, and showcased successful approaches to leveraging FLW reduction for climate action.

As world leaders continued their engagements in the early days of COP28, the Pavilion was officially opened today, in a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by Kate Warren, Executive Vice President of Devex. At the ceremony, CGIAR Executive Managing Director Ismahane Elouafi, FAO Director General Qu Dongyu, IFAD President Alvaro Lario, and Rockefeller Foundation Senior Vice President Roy Steiner welcomed COP attendees to the Pavilion and expressed appreciation for the partnership among the organizations that made the Pavilion possible. 

The ceremony was complemented by seven events, making the second day of COP28 a very busy one at the Pavilion, as visitors took in presentations and engaged in conversation.  

Welcome to the Pavilion Daily Recap, providing a snapshot of activities in and around the Pavilion. December 1 is the first full day of COP28, and as delegates and observers continue to arrive in Dubai, H.E. Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, announced at the World Climate Action Summit that 134 world leaders have endorsed the COP28 UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action.

As news of the Declaration spread, the Pavilion, co-hosted by CGIAR, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the Rockefeller Foundation, was unfurling its first day of programming. The partners’ theme for the Pavilion is “Tackling the Food and Climate Crises, Together,” emphasizing both the interconnectedness of these two challenges and the importance of collaboration in addressing them.

During the 12 days of COP28, the Pavilion will provide a gathering place for partners and stakeholders, hosting 70 events and offering meeting spaces and conversation opportunities. Events will be available via livestream or recordings through the Pavilion homepage, ensuring engagement and learning can reach audiences worldwide.