Analyzing the Impact of the COP28 UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Action: Insights from IFPRI and CGIAR.
{Relevant for Civil Service Examination.}
Analyzing the Impact of the COP28 UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Action: Insights from IFPRI and CGIAR.
IFPRI took part in COP28 in late 2023 as a member of the broader CGIAR delegation. In line with CGIAR’s five key insights from the global climate conference, this article—crafted by IFPRI Communications and Public Affairs Director Charlotte Hebebrand with input from IFPRI research units*—examines the importance of the COP28 UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action from a policy perspective.
Despite the inconclusive outcome of the COP27 Sharm El-Sheikh Implementation Plan in Dubai, COP28 has been commended for its significant emphasis on food systems, which are both threatened by and contribute to climate change. A pivotal achievement in Dubai was the COP28 UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action, highlighting that “any path to fully achieving the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement must include agriculture and food systems.” This reflection focuses on the essential policy decisions needed to address the key challenges and objectives outlined in the Declaration.
As COPs are international forums, let’s start at the global level with the issue of climate finance. While non-binding, the Declaration reaffirms the call for increased and improved access to all forms of finance to facilitate the transformation of food systems. With only 4% of all climate finance directed towards food systems, it is crucial to make tangible progress across the various funding streams identified in Figure 1. These include internal flows within food systems (such as consumer and producer expenditures) and external sources (such as international development funds, public budgets, banking systems, and capital markets). These flows need to be identified, evaluated, redirected, and expanded to achieve the desired objectives, aligning with Article 2.1(c) of the Paris Agreement, which emphasizes aligning “finance flows with a trajectory towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development.”
Discussions on “climate finance” have brought attention to the significant investments required to transform food systems. However, much of the focus has been on finding new funding sources, when in reality, we also need to figure out (1) how to better utilize existing financial resources in the food sector, and (2) how to change market incentives to promote sustainable and healthy diets for consumers and producers. By intelligently changing incentives and choices within the food system, we can also attract private sector investments aligned with these choices. The Declaration acknowledges this and emphasizes the need to “revisit or reorient policies and public support” to address the issues related to the food-climate connection.
The concept of “repurposing” agricultural support is highlighted, as IFPRI’s research shows that the substantial government funding for agricultural production often leads to market distortions and unsustainable practices. Redirecting this support towards research and development for productivity-enhancing and emission-reducing technologies, as well as improved rural infrastructure, could lead to significant benefits for people, the planet, and prosperity. This repurposing is identified as a climate finance priority in the CGIAR 2023 Breakthrough Agenda Report.
The Declaration also emphasizes the need to strengthen the rules-based, inclusive, and equitable multilateral trading system under the WTO. It calls for more public spending on research and development for climate-resilient crop varieties and practices, which may require clarifying or reforming WTO rules on domestic support.
Furthermore, the Declaration highlights the need for increased investments in science and evidence-based innovations to support food systems transformation in response to climate change. This includes a focus on increasing agricultural research spending in low- and middle-income countries. IFPRI’s work on innovation policy and scaling emphasizes the importance of progressive policies, investments, and regulations to enable innovation processes for climate-resilient solutions.
The complexity of prioritizing goals and determining how to do so is influenced by political economy dynamics and governance challenges in the public sector. Most governments, whether in the Global South or North, do not have a dedicated “food systems ministry,” leading to fragmented handling of food and agricultural topics across multiple ministries. This lack of coordination, combined with entrenched interest groups both within and outside of government, can hinder the development and implementation of national operational plans. A recent book by IFPRI and Oxford University explores how to ground food system transformation in a comprehensive understanding of interest group dynamics, incentive systems, ideology, and accountability structures, particularly in the current climate of geopolitical conflict, populism, nationalism, and misinformation campaigns.
The signatories of the UAE Declaration aim to enhance collaboration among various ministries and stakeholders to achieve the goals outlined in the Declaration. IFPRI has observed the benefits of institutional arrangements and operational plans that incorporate inputs from multiple government agencies and stakeholders through its policy work in partnership with IFPRI’s country offices.
In conclusion, the UAE Declaration, signed by over 160 countries, emphasizes the urgency of advancing food systems transformation and calls for sustained attention to this agenda at UNFCCC COPs and other relevant forums. This transformation will require adequate international funding and clear trade rules, as well as decisive decision-making at the national level. As CGIAR’s sole policy-focused research center, IFPRI is committed to providing evidence-based policy solutions in collaboration with CGIAR colleagues and partners worldwide to advance the objectives outlined in the Declaration.
Contributors: Channing Arndt (Senior Director, Transformation Strategies, CGIAR and IFPRI), Eugenio Díaz-Bonilla (Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA) Visiting Fellow at IFPRI), Dan Gilligan (Director, Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion Unit), Danielle Resnick (Senior Research Fellow, Development Strategies and Governance Unit), Claudia Ringler (Director, Natural Resources and Resilience Unit), Rob Vos (Director, Markets, Trade, and Institutions Unit), and Keith Wiebe (Senior Research Fellow, Foresight and Policy Modeling Unit).
Reference: Statistics
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1. Question: Define the term “ethnic movement” and provide an example from India.
Answer: An ethnic movement refers to a collective effort by a group sharing common cultural, linguistic, or religious traits, seeking to assert their identity and rights; an example from India is the Khalistan Movement in Punjab.
2. Question: Identify the main objectives behind the Gorkhaland ethnic movement.
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Answer: The Assam Ethnicity conflicts primarily stemmed from issues related to immigration, land rights, and resource allocation, leading to clashes, riots, and evolving relationships among indigenous communities to address challenges.
6. Question: Briefly describe the role of the Dravidian Movement in terms of caste and societal structure.
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7. Question: Name the prominent ethnic movements in North-East India and specify one common objective.
Answer: Prominent ethnic movements in North-East India include the Nagas’ and Mizos’ struggles; a common objective was to gain autonomy and recognition for their distinct tribal identities and cultural uniqueness.
8. Question: What is the key argument of Gail Omveldt regarding traditional Indian society and multiculturalism?
Answer: Gail Omveldt opposed romanticizing traditional Indian society, arguing that hierarchy has always dominated it and dismissing the notion that multiculturalism is an intrinsic feature of Indian society as a myth.
9. Question: Briefly explain the social hierarchy factor as a contributing element to ethnic movements as suggested by Olzak.
Answer: Olzak suggests that the construction of hierarchies among ethnic communities, which often leads to the suppression of one group by another, is a key factor that can instigate social and ethnic movements.
10. Question: Identify one consequence of the unequal economic development factor within the context of ethnic movements in India.
Answer: One consequence of unequal economic development is the marginalization and underdevelopment of certain groups, leading to feelings of alienation and sometimes initiating ethnic movements as these groups strive for equality and recognition.
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