U.K. leads 45 Governments to pledge support for promoting sustainable farming at COP26
45 Governments, led by the United Kingdom (U.K.), have pledged urgent action and investment to protect nature and shift to more sustainable ways of farming during the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP26’s) Nature and Land-Use Day.
These 45 Governments, will support internationally agreed “Action Agendas” which set out steps that Governments, farmers and others can take through policy reform and innovation to develop sustainable food systems.
A total of 16 countries will launch a “Policy Action Agenda” and more than 160 stakeholders will join a “Global Agenda for Innovation in Agriculture” to lead the way on the global transition towards climate resilient agriculture and food systems.
As a part of Prime Minister of United Kingdom (U.K.) – Boris Johnson’s plan to spend at least £ 3 billon of International Climate Finance on nature and biodiversity, the U.K. will launch a new £ 500 million package to help protect 5 million hectares of rainforests from deforestation, an area equivalent to over 3.5 million football pitches. The
Speaking on the occasion, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, U.K. – George Eustice said, “To keep 1.5 degrees alive, we need action from every part of society, including an urgent transformation in the way we manage ecosystems and grow, produce and consume food on a global scale.”
He further said, “We need to put people, nature and climate at the core of our food systems. The UK government is leading the way through our new agricultural system in England, which will incentivise farmers to farm more sustainably, create space for nature on their land and reduce carbon emissions.”
Of this £ 3 billion, £ 25 million out of the £150 million from BEIS’ Mobilising Finance for Forests (MFF) programme will be invested to develop sustainable supply chains in tropical countries. A total of £ 38 million will go to a new global research initiative through the world’s leading agricultural research organisation – CGIAR (formerly the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research).
Another £ 40 million will go towards setting up of Global Centre on Biodiversity for Climate, which will address the critical research gaps in how the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity can improve livelihoods in developing countries.
Besides, the U.K. will also launch a £ 65 million Just Rural Transition support programme to help developing countries move towards more sustainable methods of agriculture and food production. The U.K. also announced its support for the U.S.- UAE led Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM4C) which will mobilise over £ 4 billion of new global public sector investment in agricultural innovation, research and development over the next 5 years with contributions from over 30 countries.
Separately, 28 Governments, including the U.K., representing 75% of global trade in key commodities that can threaten forests, have come together through the Forest, Agriculture and Commodity Trade (FACT) Roadmap which was created at COP26 to deliver sustainable trade and reduce pressure on forests.
