Call made for a new mandate for the UN’s Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture
A global coalition of 30 organisations involved in food systems work globally are urging negotiators during the second week of COP27 in Egypt to include “food systems” at the heart of the talks by giving a key working group a new mandate to continue and expand the ambition of its work.
In its letter, the coalition urges negotiators to agree to a new mandate for the summit’s Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture, focusing in particular on sustainable food production, nutrition and dietary shifts, as well as food loss and waste.
The letter states that, without these critical climate solutions, humanity can neither limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, nor build sustainable food systems that provide all people with adequate healthy and nutritious food.
Raphaël Podselver, spokesperson for the Food4Climate Pavilion at COP27, said the new mandate was critical so that real progress is made at COP28 in the United Arab Emirates next year.
“With the help of the food pavilions, including the Food4Climate Pavilion, at this year’s COP27, we have really helped to bring the pressing need to transform food and agriculture to be climate-compatible to summit delegates.
“We now need to go further and update the mandate for the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture so that nations have a vehicle to push ahead with adopting the changes we need to see without delay.”
Podselver added: “We really cannot leave COP27 without achieving this.”
More about the Food4Climate Pavilion
The Food4Climate Pavilion – supported by a coalition of NGOs, think-tanks and commercial companies – plans to highlight the critical yet overlooked need to transform our global food system to tackle climate change.
Science shows that climate targets will not be met without urgent food-system change, including adopting agroecological practices, shifting to more plant-rich diets, and reducing food loss and waste.
Throughout COP27, delegates from nearly 200 UN member states have been able to attend daily talks and network with NGOs, the commercial industry, academic institutions and researchers at the Pavilion.
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Notes to Editors
For media inquiries, email Raphaël Podselver at [email protected]
About the Food4Climate Pavilion partner organisations
Food4Climate Pavilion will aim to present plant-rich diets as a key mitigation and adaptation solution to the climate crisis at this year’s COP27 conference in Egypt in November.
The Pavilion’s diverse stakeholders highlight the rich plurality of actors and factors shaping our food systems. With a strong focus on Just Transition, the programme will explore multiple perspectives and concrete ways to create inclusive mechanisms for leveraging the potential of plant-rich diets to make our food systems more sustainable and equitable.
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