A platform to help farmers navigate the current network of agriculture-focused initiatives and programmes on climate action has been launched at the 29th United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference (COP29).
The new platform called the ‘Baku Harmoniya Climate Initiative for Farmers’ was launched by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO), in partnership with the Azerbaijan COP29 presidency.
The initiative will look for opportunities to realise co-benefits from climate actions in agriculture and food systems, including reducing the risk of loss and damage, reducing emissions, and conserving biodiversity and soil health.
The platform will empower farmers, in particular women and youth, and support the development of climate-resilient villages and rural communities for adaptation action in the food, agriculture and water sectors.
The initiative, which was launched at the opening of COP29’s Food, Agriculture and Water Day yesterday (Tuesday, November 19), facilitates and supports the transformation of agri-food systems by focusing on three main goals:
- Clarifying the landscape of initiatives and offering a platform for better collaboration and exchange of knowledge and experiences;
- Making investments in agri-food systems transformation from both private and public sectors more attractive, while building on strong collaborations with multilateral development banks and agricultural public development banks;
- Supporting the development of climate-resilient villages and rural communities, and strengthening the role of fishers and farmers, in particular women and young fishers and farmers, for adaptation action in the food, agriculture and water sectors.
The focus of the initiative will be on evidence-based knowledge and align with scientific best-practices, with a particular emphasis on technologies contributing to resilient and sustainable agriculture, the FAO said.
Under the initiative, there will be a portal to clarify the landscape of programmes, share experiences, identify synergies and gaps, and foster collaborative efforts concentrated on the agriculture, food and water nexus.
COP29
The FAO said the Harmoniya Initiative will serve as an “aggregator”, bringing together disparate initiatives, coalitions, networks, and partnerships to empower farmers, villages and rural communities.
A key aim of the initiative is to enhance climate policies, creating an enabling environment for implementation, considering the diversity and complexity of agricultural systems, the FAO said.
There are currently more than 90 global or regional initiatives, networks and partnerships, creating a “clear need” for coherence, alignment and sharing of lessons learned to deliver greater impact, the FAO said.
The initiative represents an “unparalleled opportunity” to collectively drive climate solutions through agri-food systems, the director of the FAO’s Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment, Kaveh Zahedi said.
