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COMMITTEE ON WORLD FOOD SECURITY DISCUSS WAYS TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHALLENGE

COMMITTEE ON WORLD FOOD SECURITY DISCUSS WAYS TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHALLENGE

The Durban University of Technology (DUT) was among the universities who were invited to attend an international webinar on Transforming Agricultural Innovations for People, Nature and Climate via Zoom on Tuesday, 8 February 2021. 

This webinar was part of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) 47 side event to identify the gaps on how they can meet the climate challenge and to discuss ways to address gaps in order to drive transformative change through the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) and COP26. It presented the latest evidence on the challenges and opportunities in scaling approaches that are proven to work, building on innovations and demand-driven solutions.  

Facilitating this webinar which was attended by 400 guests from across the globe was Kanayo Nwanze, Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Special Representative to the UNFSS. Addressing the guests, he said the world is much more alert to the intertwined challenges of food security, environmental sustainability and climate crisis.   

“Innovation will be a crucial element for the 21st century solutions that we need to address this alarming situation. We acknowledge the UK’s commitment to supporting agricultural research and climate adaptation from support to CGIAR and efforts to raise action of climate change through the COP26. In Thailand, efforts by government to prioritise the adaptation technologies and knowledge transfer in its Agricultural Strategic Plan on Climate Change, it’s one that is critical for a country where almost half of the labour force was in agriculture. Business as usual will not get us there. To achieve transformation across food, land, water systems, we must first drive transformation across research and innovation systems,” said Mnwanze.  

He said only by working together at all levels, regionally, nationally and internationally that they will be able to bring this innovation to scale.

One of the key speakers was Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director General of Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said the world faces the unprecedented challenge of global food security and nutrition, the sustainability of the agri-food systems and the health of the ecosystem.   

“Climate change by your diversity loss and now the COVID-19 pandemic have put us at the teething point and we risk the achievement of the sustainable development goals by 2030. It is time we rethink how we produce, process and consume our food. Hunger is on the rise, and for your estimate, the COVID-19 pandemic may add 132 million to the 690 million hungry people in the world. As always the small scale farmers are the most affected, vulnerable and most dependent on what nature delivers. It is essential that we take bold and transformative action to create a better life for all,” said Semedo.  

She said that the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the harsh effects of the climate change and biodiversity loss has pushed for transformative change of the agri-food systems.

Rachel Glennerste, Chief Economist from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said agriculture is at the centre of the three of the world’s biggest challenges; poverty, climate change and biodiversity loss. She said innovation and research in agriculture offers the world hope for change to deliver on nutrition and income for the poor, whilst restoring biodiversity, combating and protecting people through climate change.

“The challenge seems simple but also overwhelming. Agriculture makes up 26% of the greenhouse gas emissions, used up for fresh water and is responsible for 78% of the pollution of water in the world. It is also the main threat to biodiversity. It is also important for the poor. Not only is agriculture causing a threat to climate change but also climate change is causing a threat to agriculture. If we get agriculture right, we can fix the three things that I mentioned, we need to get the policy right and innovation,” said Glennerste.  

There was also a question and answer session where the guests had an opportunity to engage with each other. The goal of the webinar was to create international support for a new vision for agricultural innovation ahead of the United Nations (UN) COP26 summit, which will be hosted by the United Kingdom in Glasgow this November, 2021.  

Pictured: CGIAR Special Representative to the UN Food Systems Summit, Kanayo Mnwanze  

Simangele Zuma  

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