#ActionOnFood: COP27 Food Systems Pavilion announced

As the countdown to COP gathers pace – with just 80 days now remaining until the United Nations hosts its 27^th Climate Change Conference – a coalition of leading international food organisations has today announced its plans to host the first ever Food Systems Pavilion.

The Food Systems Pavilion brings together over 15 international leaders in the food space spanning the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, from farmers and youth to policy makers and scientists. This diversity of expertise and perspectives sets it apart from other coalitions, with co-hosts and partners committing to work collaboratively to tackle trade-offs, showcase solutions and overcome barriers.

Participating organisations include co-hosts Clim-Eat, Coalition of Action for Soil Health (CA4SH), EIT Food, Environmental Defense Fund, FOLU, Good Food Institute, Infarm, SNV and Yara International; session partners Aleph Farms, Food Tank, Just Rural Transition, One Acre Fund and Rabobank; and supporting partners World Farmers’ Organisation and YOUNGO.

Dr Dhanush Dinesh, Clim-Eat founder, commented: “New visions are needed for how food systems will operate in the future, and the central role of farmers and small-scale agriculture as positive agents of change. Business as usual is not an option.

“To address these issues publicly and collaboratively, we are bringing together farmers, food producers, NGOs, businesses, youth, Indigenous Peoples and intergovernmental organisations in the first ever Food Systems Pavilion.

“We believe COP27 will represent a critical turning point for our food systems. We urge all interested parties to join us in championing #ActionOnFood and making this the food COP.”

With agriculture and food systems contributing over one-third (1) of greenhouse gas emissions, there are many complex challenges to overcome but also huge opportunities. Transforming the world's food systems could generate $4.5 trillion annually (2) in new economic activity and help to create a net-zero, nature-positive world, while also ensuring social justice and food security.

At the previous COP in Glasgow, policy makers took the first steps towards recognising the critical role of food and agriculture in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. At COP27, the Food Systems Pavilion co-hosts want to substantially advance this agenda and put food centre stage.

Dr Agnes Kalibata, President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy to the 2021 Food Systems Summit and FOLU Ambassador, said: “We must ensure that food dominates the COP27 agenda. It has been the missing piece in climate negotiations for far too long. Yet, Africa is putting huge bets on a COP on the continent. We hope that the world recognizes that our ability to produce food is fast being eroded, our adaptation capacity is the weakest, and how food is produced in parts of the world creates problems we must address.

“Transforming our food systems unlocks opportunities to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate the impacts of climate change, and provide solutions to some of the most pressing environmental and social issues of our time.

“Without urgent action on climate change, an additional 100 million people (3) in Africa could be pulled into extreme poverty in the next eight seasons – that’s more than 10 million people every year between now and 2030 – people that have until now been feeding themselves! Timely action on food systems is essential to stop more people from sliding into poverty and food insecurity – it is good for both people and the planet.”

The Food Systems Pavilion will focus on actions, strategies and solutions spanning the entire food value chain which offer the potential to accelerate the transition to healthy, sustainable and equitable food systems for all.

To find out more about the Food Systems Pavilion and its programme of events, visit FoodSystemsPavilion.com or search the hashtag #ActionOnFood on social media. 

For more information, images or to request an interview, please contact Greenhouse Communications:

• Jenny Briggs +44 7542 566437 jenny.briggs@greenhouse.agency
• Helen Bell +44 7880 560233 helen.bell@greenhouse.agency

References 

1. Xu et al., Global greenhouse gas emissions from animal-based food are twice those of plant-based foods, 2021
2. FOLU, Growing Better: Ten Critical Transitions to Transform Food and Land Use, 2019
3. World Meteorological Organisation, Climate change triggers mounting food insecurity, poverty and displacement in Africa, 2021

About COP27 Food Systems pavilion co-hosts:

CA4SH (coalition for soil health.org)

The Coalition of Action for Soil Health (CA4SH) was established to improve soil health globally. We take a foundational and proactive approach to addressing food and nutrition security, climate change, socioeconomic returns and growth, productivity, rural livelihoods, biodiversity, climate and nature.

Clim-Eat (clim-eat.org)

Clim-Eat is a ‘think and do tank’ which was launched at COP26 to bridge the gap between science and policy for food and climate.

EDF (edf.org)

One of the world’s leading international nonprofit organizations, Environmental Defense Fund (edf.org) creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. To do so, EDF links science, economics, law, and innovative private-sector partnerships. With more than 3 million members and offices in the United States, China, Mexico, Indonesia and the European Union, EDF’s scientists, economists, attorneys and policy experts are working in 28 countries to turn our solutions into action. Connect with us on Twitter @EnvDefenseFund.

EIT Food (eitfood.eu)

EIT Food is the world’s largest and most dynamic food innovation community. We accelerate innovation to build a future-fit food system that produces healthy and sustainable food for all. Supported by the EU, we invest in projects, organisations and individuals that share our goals for a healthy and sustainable food system. We are one of nine innovation communities established by the European Institute for Innovation & Technology (EIT), an independent EU body set up in 2008 to drive innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe.

FOLU (foodandlandusecoalition.org)

FOLU is a global community with diverse expertise, committed to the urgent need to transform the way we produce, distribute and consume food and use our land for people, nature and climate. We support science-based solutions and help build a shared understanding of the challenges and opportunities to unlock collective, ambitious action. The Coalition’s nine core partners are the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), EAT, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), SYSTEMIQ, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), The World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO) and World Resources Institute (WRI). FOLU has platforms in China, Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Ethiopia and is building a platform in Kenya.

The Good Food Institute (gfi.org)

The Good Food Institute is a nonprofit think tank working to make the global food system better for the planet, people, and animals. Alongside scientists, businesses, and policymakers, GFI’s teams focus on making plant-based and cultivated meat delicious, affordable, and accessible. Powered by philanthropy, GFI is an international network of organisations advancing alternative proteins as an essential solution needed to meet the world’s climate, global health, food security, and biodiversity goals.

Infarm (infarm.com)

Founded in 2013, Infarm is the world's fastest-growing vertical farming company. In partnership with more than 30 of the world’s top retail chains in 10 countries in North America, Asia, and Europe, Infarm’s fresh produce is available in more than 1,850 stores worldwide. By 2030 Infarm plans to expand to 20 countries on those three continents and to the Middle East. The company’s product catalogue consists of a variety of more than 75 plants such as herbs, leafy greens, salads, microgreens, and mushrooms, and will soon include strawberries, peppers, cherry tomatoes, and peas. The company's modular farming systems are highly efficient, capable of growing more than 500,000 plants annually on just 40m2 of floor space. In addition to using 95% less land, Infarm requires 95% less water than traditional farming methods and uses no chemical pesticides. So far, Infarm has saved more than 130 million litres of water, more than 180,000m2 of land, and nearly 1.6 million food miles (about 3 million km) with its production methods. Infarm has committed to setting a science-based net-zero carbon target through The Science Based Targets initiative. Infarm’s operating entities are embedded in a holding company, infarm Indoor Urban Farming B.V, which is registered in The Netherlands.

SNV (snv.org)
​​SNV is a not-for-profit international development organisation that makes a lasting difference in the lives of people living in poverty by helping them raise incomes and access basic services. We focus on three sectors – agriculture, energy, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) – and have a long-term, local presence in 24 countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Our team of approximately 1,300 people is the backbone of SNV.

Yara International (yara.com)

Yara grows knowledge to responsibly feed the world and protect the planet. Supporting our vision of a world without hunger and a planet respected, we pursue a strategy of sustainable value growth, promoting climate-friendly crop nutrition and zero-emission energy solutions. Yara’s ambition is focused on growing a nature positive food future that creates value for our customers, shareholders and society at large and delivers a more sustainable food value chain. To achieve our ambition, we have taken the lead in developing digital farming tools for precision farming, and work closely with partners throughout the food value chain to improve the efficiency and sustainability of food production. Founded in 1905 to solve the emerging famine in Europe, Yara has established a unique position as the industry’s only global crop nutrition company.

About COP27 Food Systems Pavilion session partners

Aleph Farms (aleph-farms.com)

Aleph Farms grows cultivated beef steaks from cells that are isolated from a living cow and not immortalised or genetically modified, avoiding slaughter and achieving reduced environmental impact. The company was co-founded in 2017 by Didier Toubia, The Kitchen Hub by Strauss Group, and Professor Shulamit Levenberg of the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology. Its vision is to ensure unconditional nutrition for anyone, anytime, anywhere.

Food Tank (foodtank.com)

Food Tank is one of the fastest growing global nonprofit organisations around food and agriculture issues, focused on building a global community for safe, healthy, and nourished eaters.

Just Rural Transition (justruraltransition.org)

Just Rural Transition brings together a diverse global community of stakeholders, including farmers, governments, investors and civil society organisations to identify inclusive, equitable and sustainable solutions to food systems challenges.

By catalysing policy reform and investment partnerships through collaborative approaches, JRT aims to contribute to a transformation to people-centred global food systems that nourish a growing population; protect and restore our natural world; mitigate climate change; and provide equitable livelihoods for food producers as they adapt to climate challenges and shifting market demand.

One Acre Fund (oneacrefund.org)

One Acre Fund is a non-profit social enterprise working to end chronic hunger and extreme poverty in smallholder communities. Via a wide-range of market-based operating models, they directly provide a network of almost 1.5 million farmers access to services and tools to sustainably increase crop productivity and farm income across nine sub-Saharan African countries (Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Uganda, and Zambia, Ethiopia, and Nigeria).

Few people in the world are as dependent on predictable rainfall and temperature patterns as a smallholder farmer, and thus as vulnerable to climate change. Climate change is not a hypothetical future risk to these farmers; it is a reality they are facing today. Given this critical need, One Acre Fund is increasingly focusing its program on helping the farmers it serves adapt to climate change, and in some cases help contribute to mitigation efforts.

Rabobank (rabobank.com)

Rabobank is a cooperative bank with a mission – growing a better world together. Together with our stakeholders, we have been dedicated to creating a future-proof society and tackling major societal challenges for 125 years. In the Netherlands, we serve retail and corporate clients; globally we focus on the food and agriculture sector. Our starting point is: together we can achieve more than we could individually.

Our climate is changing. Demand for food is increasing. And inequality continues to put a strain on society and our communities. Around the world, consumers and businesses face the growing need to live and work more sustainably. That’s why we embrace innovation and team up with our customers and partners to address important social, economic and environmental issues. In particular, we focus on three key transitions where we can make a meaningful difference: the sustainable food and energy transitions, plus the transition to a more inclusive society where everyone can pursue their ambitions.

About COP27 Food Systems Pavilion supporting partners

World Farmers’ Organisation (wfo-oma.org)

The World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO) is a member-based organisation representing a community of geographically balanced entrepreneurial farmers that, regardless of their gender, age, or farm size - small, medium, or large-scale - aim to see their perspective as food producers and role as economic actors, globally recognised.

The WFO mission is to bring the farmers’ voice into the global political dialogue on agriculture, advocating for their interests in all relevant international processes affecting their present and future.

YOUNGO (youngoclimate.org)

The easiest way for young people to engage in UNFCCC processes is by joining YOUNGO, which is the Official Children and Youth Constituency of the UNFCCC. YOUNGO consist of various WGs most of them are in line with the UNFCCC Constituted bodies like Finance and Mechanism, Loss and Damages, Adaptation, Indigenous and Solidarity.

These WGs throughout the year offer capacity building, submit interventions on the UNFCCC submission portal, engage with relevant partners for more insights, information exchange and learning. The constituency receives direct information from the UNFCCC Secretariat on how to participate in different meetings of interest, making interventions on behalf of Youth NGOs and many more other opportunities. This information is shared on a mailing list which is the most common communication platform. The mailing list consists of approximately 4000 thousand youths and 1000+ youth environmental organisations and 160+ registered as youth environmental organisations.

To make sure that youth voices are well represented at COPs, even without their physical presence, a Local Conference Of Youths (LCOY) is normally hosted in various countries. The main purpose of the LCOY is to capacitate young people in their respective countries on Climate Change. The outcome of LCOY is a youth statement which should be submitted to the government before COP for consideration. The LCOYs feed into the Regional Conference Of Youth (RCOY) while both LCOY outputs and RCOY outputs feed into the Global Conference Of Youth (GCOY), an event which takes place few days prior the Conference Of the Parties (COP) where at this event the Global Youth Statement (GYS) is produced after months of youth consultation and it is submitted to the UNFCCC Secretariat for consideration.