The governments of the United States and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be announcing the launch of the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate) during the World Leaders’ Summit at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow on November 2nd, 2021 with other high-level events taking place with senior government leaders on November, 5th, 2021 at the UAE Pavilion, COP26 and on November, 6th, 2021 at US Centre, COP26.
AIM for Climate was jointly previewed in April 2021 by U.S. President Joe Biden and the UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum at President Biden’s Leaders’ Summit on Climate. It has since garnered the support of over 30 countries, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
AIM for Climate will mark the first major global initiative of its kind to catalyse greater investments in climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and global food systems innovation to enhance resilience in the often-overlooked agricultural sector to climate change impacts and create co-benefits of climate action. It is supported by a diverse and influential coalition of over 70 partners who will drive the initiative’s cause over the next five years (2021–2025).
Agriculture is a major part of the current climate challenge, contributing to about 25% of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Food security is also under pressure as the world’s growing population is increasingly dependent on climate-vulnerable food production. Although the agriculture sector is recognised as a major contributor to the climate change problem, there has been limited investment in the sector.
Despite this, CSA and food systems innovation can be part of the solution to addressing climate change, as envisioned by AIM for Climate. Greater investments in CSA and food systems innovation will help inform science-based, data-driven decision-making and policies and achieve breakthroughs and enhancements in technologies and approaches that adapt food production to the world’s harsher climate.
AIM for Climate endeavours to create a positive multiplier effect for people and the planet across agriculture, food and climate by reducing global GHG emissions; creating efficiencies to build agriculture’s resilience to the impact of climate change; bolstering food security and improving farmer livelihoods and the ecosystems they rely on, especially for women, children and indigenous populations, by helping to generate higher economic returns and job creation in a sector that already employs over 2 billion people.
The initiative adopts a multistakeholder approach to cooperation, uniting public and private participation to spur agricultural innovation through investments and knowledge-sharing. Target areas of innovation include sustainable productivity improvements, land, water, carbon, and other input use efficiency; resilient crop and livestock production, enhanced digital tools; and inclusive, equitable, and sustainable and secure food systems.
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