COP28 opened in Dubai with food system transformation on the menu

Food systems account for roughly a third of global emissions, and agriculture is becoming more central to climate talks as the sector struggles to make progress on sustainability targets. A New York Times examination found that among 20 of the world’s largest food and restaurant companies, more than half had not made any progress on emissions reductions goals or reported rising emissions levels.

Last year’s climate summit in Egypt expanded the convention’s mandate to address agriculture and food security, growing the UN’s focus beyond just agricultural production. Food and environmental groups were disappointed, however, that the agreement did not include a mandate to transform food systems, which would address the environmental toll from processing, manufacturing and food waste.

This year, the UN’s FAO is set to release its first roadmap for food systems to reach net-zero emissions, which could shape future policy decisions and include more than just agricultural production. Among other things, the report is expected to call on wealthy nations to reduce their red meat consumption, according to Bloomberg.

Other food-focused pledges and commitments are expected to take shape throughout the two-week summit, which kicks off Thursday. Negotiators plan to finalize details of an agreement to provide “loss and damage” funding for farmers and vulnerable communities to better withstand climate disasters.

The FAO said Tuesday that there will also be “special announcements” on agricultural partnerships and initiatives throughout the course of the conference. UN leaders have pushed private-public partnerships to scale innovation within the food sector and accelerate climate action.

Food Dive