The COP28 official described the endorsement as a ''historic moment'' for food systems and Agriculture at the ongoing climate change summit in Dubai.
With less than 48 hours to the conclusion of the 28th meeting of the United Nations Conference of the Parties ( COP28), no fewer than 152 countries have committed to the COP28 UAE Declaration on Agriculture, Food Systems and Climate Action in Dubai.
This was disclosed Sunday by the COP28 Food Systems Lead, Mariam Almheiri, during a high-level session focused on the implementation of the COP28 UAE Declaration on Agriculture, Food Systems and Climate Action.
''As you know, we kickstarted 10 days ago, and I was on this stage to announce that we have 134 countries signatories on the UAE declaration on food systems, agriculture and climate. Do you wanna know where it is today? It is 152,'' she said.
The COP28 official described the endorsement as a ''historic moment'' for food systems and Agriculture at the ongoing climate change summit in Dubai.
This, she said, is because they have really taken the time to listen, to connect the dots and to get the political will to mobilise financing and even provide tools.
10 December - Food, Agriculture, and Water Day
At the ongoing COP28, the organisers themed 10 December as Food, Agriculture and Water Day.
The day is meant to address these lingering climate-related challenges bedevilling food systems globally, while also scaling up regenerative agriculture and water-food systems to integrate governance between states, corporations, farmers and producers.
Over the last decade, one of the major sectors badly affected by the devastating impact of the climate crisis is the agriculture sector, globally.
Extreme weather events in the form of droughts, flooding, and heat waves among others have strained food systems significantly, especially across the climate-vulnerable continent like Africa.
This is evident in the state of food availability, accessibility and affordability in the climate-vulnerable countries.
''Climate change is creating severe pressure and risks for food, agricultural and water systems. At the same time, these systems are also contributors to climate change: one-third of all human-made GHG emissions derive from agri-food systems, and 70 per cent of freshwater consumed worldwide is used for agricultural production,'' the UNFCCC said.
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Key events that shaped the day
According to the COP28 presidency, the day brought to the fore the first-of-its-kind COP ministerial dialogue on building water-resilient food systems.
Similarly, about 15 countries commit to prioritising interlinked efforts on water and food, with more than 43 countries joining the Freshwater Challenge to protect and restore 30 per cent of the planet's degraded freshwater ecosystems by 2030.
Also, international institutions announced a three-year support package to help countries unlock finance and support farmers, food producers, small agribusinesses and local communities.
Governments launch Alliance of Champions on Food Systems Transformation to raise ambition and close implementation gaps, the organisers said.
So far at COP28, over $83.7 billion have been committed to upscaling climate action globally, amidst an effort to tackle the lingering climate crisis at scale and fulfil the global Paris accord endorsed by Parties within the next decade.
From the above figure, $780 million have been pledged to the new loss and damage fund, $134 million to Adaptation, $129 million to the Least Developed Countries fund, $8.7 billion for lives and livelihoods and $6.8 billion has been committed to energy among others.
However, with COP28 being at the critical moment of harmonisation of texts among parties and delegations, several concerns have emerged regarding some of the wordings captured in the ongoing negotiation texts amidst perceived overwhelming oil lobbyists at COP this year.
