Context: UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released a study on the sidelines of the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) which underscores the critical need for targeted efforts to address vulnerabilities in agrifood systems.

Is Agriculture most climate affected sector, as per the UN FAO findings on climate impact?

• According to the study, agrifood systems and the communities that support and depend on them are on the front lines of loss and damage linked to climate change.
• Agriculture is the climate-affected sector globally, with 40% of countries reporting economic losses explicitly linked to it.
• About 35% of current climate action plans explicitly refer to loss and damage, with agriculture being identified as the single most impacted area.
• Critical Need for Targeted Efforts: To address vulnerabilities in agrifood systems that play pivotal roles in livelihoods and sustainable development. 
  • For instance, in 2020, the agrifood sector employed over 866 million people globally and represented a turnover of $3.6 trillion.
• Non-economic Losses: Among countries reporting on loss and damage, 33% of non-economic losses are related to the agricultural sector.

Emirates Declaration:

• It was announced at a special session of the World Climate Action Summit.
• Commitment: It commits 134 countries to integrating food into their climate plans (NDCs) by 2025. 
  • This marks the first time in UN climate talks that countries have made a clear commitment to take action on the global food system.

Significance: The countries also included those with the highest food systems-related greenhouse gas emissions like Brazil, China, and the European Union.

• Technical Cooperation: COP28 and a group of partners announced a collaborative effort to offer countries quality technical cooperation and to help deliver on the objectives of the Declaration. 
  • The partners pledged more than USD$200 million, while also committing to increase coordination across their wider portfolios.

News Source: DTE

Also Read: COP28 Climate Summit in Dubai: Key Highlights, Themes, and India’s Role