Countries and companies are committed to sustainable agriculture

The United Kingdom will host the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow from 31 October to 12 November 2021.

The COP26 summit will bring together parties to step up efforts to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

At the end of the first week of COP26, 45 governments pledged urgent action and investments to protect nature and shift to more sustainable agricultural practices.

Governments and businesses will join farmers and communities at COP26, secure new agreements to protect nature, and accelerate the transition to sustainable agriculture and land use by making it more attractive, accessible and affordable than unsustainable alternatives.

Twenty-six countries pledged to make their agricultural policies more sustainable and cleaner, investing in the science needed to protect sustainable agriculture and food security from climate change through two programs of action. All continents were represented, including India, Colombia, Vietnam, Germany, Ghana and Australia.

The commitments made by these countries will help implement the Glasgow Leaders Declaration on Forests and Land Use, which aims to halt and reverse deforestation and forest degradation by 2030.

COP26 President Alok Sharma said: “If we are to reduce global warming and keep the 1.5°C target alive, the world must use the land sustainably and put nature conservation and restoration at the right foot. The center of everything we do.

“Today’s commitments show that nature and land use are recognized as essential to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement and will help address the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.

“In the meantime, as we await talks in the second week of the COP, I urge all parties to come to the negotiating table with the necessary constructive commitments and objectives.”

Focus on diet

The World Bank is committed to spending $25 billion in climate finance annually through 2025 on its Climate Action Plan, which includes a focus on agriculture and food systems.

As evidence of a similar commitment from the private sector, nearly 100 high-profile companies from a variety of sectors have pledged to become “nature positive.” Commitments include supermarkets that are committed to reducing their environmental impact in terms of climate and environmental losses, as well as fashion brands that ensure their materials can be traced.

Transition to sustainable agriculture and GIA: New Zealand, Australia, Uganda, Madagascar, India, Tanzania, Vietnam, Nigeria, Lesotho, Laos, Indonesia, Guinea, Ghana, Germany, Philippines, Ethiopia, United Kingdom, Colombia, Costa Rica, Morocco , Netherlands, Nigeria, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Spain, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates.

Glasgow leaders’ declaration on forests and land use

Launched on November 2, 134 countries, covering 91% of the world’s forests (including Brazil, China, Russia and Indonesia), have adopted the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use, which commits to halting deforestation and forest degradation by 2030. By. .

The full package of commitments and actions includes agrarian reform and innovation. The new global initiative will reach 100 million farmers at the heart of food system change through net innovation and positive nature-based innovation by 2030 through the World Economic Forum (WEF) multi-stakeholder forum where farmer organizations, civil society and businesses participate. and other partners.

The Action Plan for the Transition to Sustainable Agriculture identifies pathways and actions that countries can take to reorient public policies and food and agricultural support to achieve these outcomes and enable an equitable rural transition. It also identifies actions and opportunities for other actors (international organisations, food producers, financial institutions, researchers, civil society, etc.) to channel their expertise, knowledge and resources to support this programme.

sustainable production and consumption

On behalf of the UK’s five largest department stores, Sainsbury is committed to halving the environmental impact of the average UK shopping cart by 2030 by entering into a new partnership with the WWF called ‘Basket Measures’, which aims to eliminate the food and agriculture system. . Drive climate change as a champion of nature by minimizing negative impacts and promoting regenerative agriculture to restore nature. It focuses on seven main themes: climate change, deforestation, sustainable agriculture, sustainable food systems, the sea, waste, and packaging.

This article originally appeared FMCG business.