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Climate action for agriculture and food systems

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Climate action for agriculture and food systems

This year, several examples of unusual climate and weather patterns occurred. From droughts due to El Niño, to flooding due to excess rainfall, this weather variability disrupted food production and livelihoods. With World Food Day coming up and as we head towards COP29, the impact of climate change on agriculture and food systems is the centre of many conversations worldwide.

In Zambia and neighbouring Southern African countries, El Niño has affected food crop production, leading to the loss of crops and low yield records between February and March. When I began fieldwork in Kenya in April, I found that most East African countries had experienced the opposite incidence. In Kenya, most counties recorded too much rainfall, leading to flooding of farmlands. In my second visit to farming communities in Kenya later in the year, most farmers reported during interviews that they recorded low yields, and some farming households had to conduct a second sowing of the maize seed. All the farming households that I interviewed during my stay in Kisumu County in Western Kenya mentioned that the harvest from the long rain season was poor, with the hope that the short rain period from August to November would be ‘kind to them’. These are a few examples of how climate change and variability is affecting food production and livelihood development in several contexts, which is not only applicable to Africa.

The impacts of climate change and variability on agriculture, food security, food systems, and the sector’s role in contributing to these challenges have sparked ongoing discussions about how to best ensure food security and promote sustainable agriculture. At the same time, disparities between regions with abundant food supplies and those facing scarcity have raised important debates on justice and equity in transforming the food systems.

UNFCCC discussions on food and agriculture

During the 60th sessions of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SB60) and Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA)  in Bonn and other COP events, some civil society organisations called for the adoption of a plant-based food system. While the initiatives are laudable considering the current systems of industrial food production, I also asked, what happens to communities that have been affected by climate change, and have lost their crops and livestock, and suffer from malnutrition?  I think we need to adopt context-specific approaches in transforming our food system, bearing in mind inequalities among certain groups or regions.

My research findings from the integrated Future Estimator for Emissions and Diets (iFEED) modelling framework highlights the consequences of climate change and nutrition security in East and Southern African countries that rely mostly on maize as the staple food. The result shows the importance of diversifying agricultural production for nutrition security, rather than prioritising staple calorie-only crops. Livestock meat and dairy production are therefore relevant micronutrient supplies (i.e. iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin A, folate etc.); however, supplies fall below requirements due to production shocks. The iFEED model outputs highlight the value of focusing on agricultural diversification to enhance nutrient supplies in the face of climate extremes. It is relevant to highlight these needs and geographical disparities while some groups push for the transformation of the global food systems towards a specific direction.

A suggested agenda for stakeholders

As we celebrate World Food Day, I’d like to use this opportunity to highlight key issues and set an agenda for stakeholders to consider ahead of COP29 in Azerbaijan:

  • Consider COP Presidency’s Initiatives, particularly Harmoniya which is an aggregator bringing together initiatives, coalitions and networks to share experiences, identify synergies and gaps, facilitate finance, and foster collaboration on agriculture, including by empowering communities and women in rural areas (COP29 Azerbaijan – United Nations Climate Change Conference). The initiative will promote continuous stakeholder engagement in agriculture and food and nutrition security at the UNFCCC conference.
  • Negotiators should discuss concrete actions to implement the pathways to a just transition of agriculture, food security and food systems, based on the goals agreed in the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture decision.
  • Capacity-building programs should be tailored to empower local communities, smallholder farmers, and youth to equip them to effectively engage in food production, climate actions, and innovative alternative green jobs.
  • The role of climate finance in strengthening innovative food production and promoting African livestock systems in the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) is relevant to countries in Africa.
  • Stakeholders should strengthen financial mechanisms to support farmers and rural communities directly. This includes simplifying timely access to climate funds, developing innovative financing models that are just and equitable to all, and effectively transferring technologies for soil health, sustainable farming, and climate resilience. The initiative should work with organisations at various scales to streamline and enhance the processes.

By following these suggestions, I believe we will attain a transformative food system that is context-specific, just and equitable to mankind and the environment.

Written by Dr Rebecca Sarku, Research Fellow in Climate Change and Food Systems, Sustainability Research Institute.