Greetings from Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where Solutions from the Land’s farmer envoys are gathering for the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP27).
The two-week conference officially kicked off Sunday, Nov. 6. This year’s deliberations are shaped by three co-joined global challenges: conflict, economic crisis and climate change.
As the event is being held in Egypt, it has been labeled the “African Summit,” and attention is squarely focused on those most vulnerable—the poor.
The four issues expected to dominate COP27 are:
- Loss and damage
- Climate finance
- Climate adaptation
- Mitigation
With African and other developing countries experiencing growing food security and nutrition crises, agriculture will have a higher profile in this COP than in previous ones. This presents both opportunities and challenges.
On the plus side, these conditions will allow us to elevate and build support for agricultural solutions to climate and other sustainable development goals.
One way we build support for agriculture is by working with the UNFCCC Farmers Constituency, which is made up of farmers and agricultural NGOs from around the world.
Each morning, we meet with the Farmers Constituency and encourage members to advocate for all forms, sizes and methods of food production. Doing so will enable farmers and ranchers across the globe to maximize agricultural solutions in meeting the United Nations’ sustainable development goals.
The Farmers Constituency has submitted a statement for COP27, affirming “the world’s farmers must be at the heart of climate policy to ensure that it reduces global agricultural emissions, increases the climate resilience of the global food system and contributes towards ending the global food security crisis.” SfL served on the drafting team that constructed the Farmers Constituency statement, and many of our guiding principles can be found in the statement.
Priorities include:
- Requesting to establish a constituted body for agriculture established under the convention.
- Increasing climate finance investments in agriculture and forestry, and improved access to direct finance to family farmers’ organizations and cooperatives.
- Supporting global partnerships to advance farmer-to-farmer knowledge sharing, adaptation and mitigation technical assistance.
- Acknowledging the critical role of livestock in the global food system.
- Ensuring the rights of farmers, including peasants, women, young farmers and other rural workers.
A Call to Empathy
While we advocate for farmers and seek collaboration at COP27, there is mounting pushback against what activists are labeling as greenwashing or “green wishing” by “big ag,” food and beverage companies, and some producer value-chain partners.
Activists collectively accuse these agriculture companies and partners of overpromising with their corporate climate pledges and intentionally diverting attention away from their own contributions to the climate crisis.
These developments serve as vivid reminder of the need for us to be genuine and realistic in all our interventions. COP27 is not a forum for self-promotion or inflated promises but rather a place to demonstrate sincere empathy for those who are suffering and a willingness to collaborate with aligned partners to achieve shared desired outcomes. Only by advancing proven and pragmatic solutions will we earn respect and trust of member states and the legions of academic, business, and civil society actors who are descending upon Sharm el-Sheikh.
SfL is grateful for the time and energy our delegates have invested in COP 27. We are confident their experience, knowledge and pragmatic recommendations will enable farmers all across the work to deliver outcomes that benefit themselves, the public at large and the planet.
To Watch Our Events
Solutions from the Land will host five official events at this year’s climate convention. Each will be livestreamed and can be viewed at the following links.
Agriculture’s Role in Decarbonizing the Economy and Reducing GHG Emissions
- 12 p.m. ET (7 p.m. EET)
- Thursday, Nov. 10
- View on Zoom (access code: IICA*COP27)
A Sustainable and Inclusive Agriculture Transformation, Engaging the Private Sector
- 6 a.m. ET (1 p.m. EET)
- Friday, Nov. 11
- Access livestream on FAO Pavilion website
Farmers at the Center of Climate Action
- 1:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. EET)
- Saturday, Nov. 12
- Access livestream on FAO Pavilion website
Water Is the Face of Climate Change
- 5:30 a.m. ET (12:30 p.m. EET)
- Monday, Nov. 14
- View on Zoom (access code: IICA*COP27)
Circular System Pathways for Scaling Climate Smart Agriculture
- 5:30 a.m. ET (12:30 p.m. EET)
- Wednesday, Nov. 16
- View on Zoom (access code: IICA*COP27)
