ICARDA at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan
13 October 2024, Azerbaijan: The 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29), to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11 to 22, 2024, will focus on advancing the goals of the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement by addressing global warming, climate adaptation, and securing necessary funding. ICARDA will be at COP29 to underscore the crucial role of international collaboration in driving climate-smart research to transform food, land, and water systems in vulnerable dryland regions.
Agriculture supports over two billion people in dryland regions, but it faces increasing threats from climate change and unsustainable practices, jeopardizing food security, livelihoods, and the environment. Building resilient and sustainable dryland agri-food systems is now a vital focus of research in the CWANA region and is becoming increasingly relevant worldwide.
Throughout COP29, ICARDA will underscore the critical role of collaboration with current and future partners and the international research community as a whole to advance research in climate-smart solutions for food, land, and water systems that ensure future global food security. Conventional agri-food systems are inadequate in the face of climate change, especially in dry regions, so urgent global efforts are required to transform these systems.
At events, workshops, and meetings, ICARDA will demonstrate how CGIAR’s extensive agricultural research expertise can be harnessed to address the growing challenges of climate change through global adaptation and mitigation strategies, highlighting the CGIAR Global Strategy for Resilient Drylands (GSRD) that harnesses the drylands expertise of CGIAR’s global research centers, and the ICARDA-led Integrated Desert Farming Systems initiative that aims to turn deserts into food production powerhouses.
Food and agriculture gained prominence in climate talks at COP27, which introduced the FAST initiative to accelerate agrifood system transformation for people, climate, and nature. The summit also launched the Koronivia work program and hosted the first food-systems pavilion. COP28 built on this momentum with the first dedicated Food, Agriculture, and Water Day and the signing of the Emirates Declaration by over 150 countries, emphasizing resilient food systems as key to addressing climate change.
Keeping the momentum, Mukhtar Babayev, COP29 President-Designate, highlights the significance of agriculture in global climate efforts, stating, “The Thematic Day devoted to Food, Agriculture, and Water at COP29 demonstrates the importance the COP29 Presidency places on agriculture and advancing sustainable and resilient food systems globally.” He adds, “Climate change is already lowering crop yields, contributing to water shortages and land degradation, and limiting our ability to feed a growing planet.”
ICARDA’s COP29 delegation, led by Aly Abousabaa, CGIAR’s Regional Director for CWANA and Director General of ICARDA, will lead or participate in numerous events throughout the conference.
We will also join sister research centers at the COP29 Food and Agriculture Pavilion, co-convened by CGIAR and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which will host a series of events throughout the conference.
ICARDA’s Events at COP29
| EVENT | DATE | HOST | LOCATION |
| Launch of the CGIAR 2030 Global Strategy for Resilient Drylands – Agri-science for thriving dryland communities | 3 November 2024, 15:00 – 16:30 | ICARDA & ICRISAT | Food and Agriculture Pavilion |
| Official UNFCCC Event: Unified Science for Thriving and Resilient Dryland Communities – Agri-innovation for dryland farmers | ICARDA | TBC | ICARDA | TBC |
| Integrated Solutions for Climate Resilience, Peace and Food Security in the MENA Region | 15 November 2024, 09:00 – TBC | ICARDA and the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT | Food and Agriculture Pavilion |
| Just Transition | 15 November 2024, 15:00 – TBC | ICARDA, FAO, COP Presidency and Nizami Ganjavi International Center | Food and Agriculture Pavilion |
ICARDA’s Delegation at COP29 (TBC):
- Aly Abousabaa - ICARDA Director General and CGIAR Regional Director for Central & Western Asia & Northern Africa (CWANA)
- Michael Baum - ICARDA Deputy Director General & Research Team Leader
- Roula Majdalani - ICARDA Senior Climate Change Adviser
- Vinay Nangia - ICARDA Soils, Waters & Agronomy Research Team Leader
- Akmal Akhramanov – ICARDA Senior Scientist, Sustainable Land Management
- James Pursey – ICARDA Communications Unit Senior Manager
- Isbandiyar Valiev – ICARDA Resource Mobilization Officer
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