COP28: In a first, declaration puts focus on reforming global food systems, but India keeps away

For nearly three decades of negotiations on ways to contain global warming, food systems and agriculture did not feature prominently at the annual UN climate summits. That changed in the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change being held in Dubai.

As many as 134 countries, which together represent over 5.7 billion people, 70% of the global food consumption, nearly 500 million farmers and 76% of total emissions from the global food system, came together to sign the Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action promoted by the United Arab Emirates, the host to this year’s summit.

The presidency also announced mobilisation of more than $2.5 billion in funding to support global food security while combatting climate change and a new partnership between the UAE and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that will put up $200 million for innovations in food systems to tackle climate change.

“There is no path to achieving the goals of the Paris climate agreement and keeping 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach that does not urgently address the interactions between food systems, agriculture, and climate,” Mariam Almheiri, the UAE’s climate change minister and lead of COP28 food systems, said in a...

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