Good COP? Bad COP?: Food systems at COP29

COP 28 delivered several breakthroughs for food systems and agriculture, including the first leaders’ level declaration on food and agriculture at a COP and the inclusion of food in the global stocktake and Global Goal on Adaptation. In contrast to the spotlight on the intersection between food and climate at COP 29, food systems, biodiversity, and ecosystems barely featured in the COP 29 final outcomes. Indigenous representation was similarly limited, and we witnessed pushback on the use of inclusive language.

However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for food systems and land use at COP 29. A number of positive developments emerged that the food systems community can continue to foster and grow ahead of COP 30 next year in Belem.

1. We saw an increased focus on the need to mitigate non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions in food systems. The COP 29 Declaration on Reducing Methane from Organic Waste, signed by over 30 countries representing almost 50% of global methane emissions from organic waste, shone a spotlight on the importance of reducing food loss and waste for methane abatement, including the need to leverage funding and build synergies with related objectives on issues such as food security, soil health, and energy. At the United States, China, and Azerbaijan Summit on Methane and non-CO2 GHGs, donors announced new finance for tackling methane mitigation, including in the agriculture sector, as well as new policy commitments and research covering both methane and nitrous oxide emissions.  
    
2. There was continued momentum from a coordinated food systems community and around a range of existing initiatives. The Alliance of Champions for Food Systems Transformation, launched at COP 28 in Dubai, shared a progress update and welcomed two new members to the Alliance: Tanzania and Vietnam. Although progress toward the Emirates Declaration on Sustainable Food and Agriculture has been slow to date, parties did emphasize the need to mainstream food systems into nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and national adaptation plans, as well as for additional finance for food systems transformation.
    
3. Brazil and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced updated NDCs at COP 29, including emissions relating to food systems, land use, and nature. Brazil pledged to reduce emissions by 59%–67% by 2035, with a strong emphasis on reducing deforestation as well as reference to existing measures to support sustainable agricultural practices, such as the ABC+ Plan. The UAE pledged to cut emissions by 47% by 2035, including a commitment to cut emissions from agriculture by 39% and to address emissions from energy use in the sector.

As the year draws to a close and policy-makers look ahead to the coming year, work remains to be done ahead of COP 30 in Brazil. Ambitious outcomes across a range of agenda items are critical for food systems transformation; however, enhancing synergies between food systems and climate is similarly critical for mitigating emissions from food systems and building their resilience to climate impacts:

1. Developing countries need financial support to transform their food systems. Therefore, the commitment from developed countries to raise USD 300 billion per year in climate finance should be viewed as a floor, not a ceiling. Developed countries must deliver on their promise and mobilize climate finance to support developing countries. With an estimated annual investment of USD 1.1 trillion needed to align food systems alone with climate goals, it is vital for our food systems that the Baku to Belem Roadmap identifies new and innovative sources to rapidly scale climate finance and match the annual USD 1.1 trillion need. Emphasis must also be placed on the accessibility of finance to vulnerable and marginalized groups, such as women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, and smallholder farmers.
    
2. Efforts must be taken to strengthen the commitment made at COP 28 to “transition away from fossil fuels” and to underscore the role food systems play in this transition. Energy systems and food systems are inextricably linked, with an estimated 15% of annual global fossil fuel use driven by our food systems. Food systems are also highly vulnerable to the climate impacts driven by emissions from a continued reliance on fossil fuels across all sectors of our economies. Policy-makers need to address these interlinkages and develop integrated approaches to transitioning both our food and energy systems away from fossil fuels, including in progressing outcomes from the global stocktake.
    
3. Ambitious food systems- and nature-related targets are needed in countries’ 2035 NDCs. Updated NDCs must recognize the interlinkages between food systems, climate, and biodiversity and be well integrated with national biodiversity strategies and action plans. They should include actionable, measurable targets across the whole food system—harnessing the potential of both production- and consumption-side measures.  Additionally, they should cover issues including, but not limited to, food loss and waste, soil health, habitat restoration, and deforestation-free supply chains.  The COP Presidencies’ Troika of the UAE, Azerbaijan, and Brazil must step up their commitment to cooperate and build a coalition to support parties on the path to ambitious NDCs.

COP 29 made little progress on the foundations laid at COP 28 and failed to make any substantial headway on commitments recognizing the critical role food systems play in climate action. However, progress did not backslide. In Baku, an increasingly well-coordinated, motivated food systems community cooperated to keep moving forward. Much remains to be done ahead of COP 30, however, and this community will be critical in continuing to build momentum.

The road from Baku to Belem starts now.