COP28 participants release declaration on ag and food systems

The U.S. and Canada are among the 156 countries to sign the declaration

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

One hundred and fifty-six countries, including the United States and Canada, are committed to agriculture, resilient food systems and climate action.

A declaration from COP28 recognizes “the profound potential of agriculture and food systems to drive powerful and innovative responses to climate change and to unlock shared prosperity for all,” the document says.

The countries also understand that “any path to fully achieving the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement must include agriculture and food systems.”

The participating nations released the declaration on Dec. 10 as part of COP28’s Food, Agriculture and Water Day.

In addition to acknowledging agriculture’s part in the fight against climate change, the 154 countries committed to pursuing five specific objectives:

1. Scaling up adaptation and resilience activities and responses to reduce vulnerability of farmers and food producers to the effects of climate change.
2. Increase efforts to support vulnerable people to promote food security and nutrition.
3. Supporting ag workers.
4. Strengthening the integrated management of water in ag to ensure sustainability.
5. Maximizing climate and environmental benefits.

The released declaration on the event’s food and ag day may be the only one for the ag sector.

Speaking with reporters from COP28, U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack doesn’t expect the event’s final declaration to include agriculture.

A request from a group of 77 developing nations for more review means there wasn’t time to negotiate on ag and food. Those discussions will happen at a future COP meeting, Vilsack said during a teleconference.