17 November2022, UN: We are already living in a world that is 1.2 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial times, with the science unequivocal that this warming has been caused by human activity. The consequences are plain to see: East Africa is being ravaged by the worst droughts in 40 years, southern Africa was hit by three cyclones and two tropical storms within six weeks, and the recent floods in Pakistan were made 50% more likely by climate change.
With smallholder farmers producing around a third of the world’s food, the growing frequency of climate disasters such as these has considerable implications for global food security. There is an urgent need to support communities — and the farmers who feed them — who are hit hardest and fastest by climate change.
To address the interlinked climate and food crises, leaders during the second week of the 27th United Nations climate summit must deliver for smallholder farmers by focusing on three critical areas:
A global framework;
Financing;
Delivery on implementation.
Interested in learning more? Read the op-ed by Claudia Sadoff, Executive Managing Director, CGIAR, and Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director-General, FAO, published by DEVEX for COP27.
