United States Advances Agricultural Innovation at Inaugural AIM for Climate Ministerial
22 February 2022, United Arab Emirates: At the first Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate) ministerial meeting in Dubai today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack underscored the importance of joint international action and investment in climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation, calling on AIM for Climate partners to continue on their ambitious path towards addressing global climate change and hunger challenges.
Secretary Vilsack and Her Excellency Mariam Almheiri, the UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, led the meeting of more than 30 government officials who gathered formally for the first time since AIM for Climate officially launched in November 2022 at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland. At that time, AIM for Climate partners announced $4 billion in increased investment from public- and private-sector partners for climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation. Today, partners set a goal of doubling that investment to $8 billion by November 2022 at the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
AIM for Climate welcomed seven new government partners – Chile, Costa Rica, Egypt, the European Commission, Guyana, Mozambique, Turkey – bringing the total to 40. Together, these government partners provide the crucial foundation of the initiative through their ability to increase public investment in climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation. Non-government partners, including businesses and philanthropies, are building on the foundation through “Innovation Sprints,” which are investments in specific, expedited activities that address AIM for Climate objectives. With the newest addition of the IBM Sustainability Accelerator, there are now nine innovation sprints underway.
“AIM for Climate government partners today demonstrated their strong commitment to work together to close the investment gap in climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation, needed to address the twin challenges of global hunger and the climate crisis,” said Secretary Vilsack. “We are proud of the wide range of AIM for Climate partners working to deliver impactful solutions for all people. AIM for Climate seeks to expand its network even farther with new participants from across the globe. The United States looks forward to welcoming all AIM for Climate partners to Washington, D.C., in the spring of 2023 for the AIM for Climate Summit to review our progress and chart out the important work ahead.”
In Dubai, AIM for Climate announced four focal areas for 2022 Innovation Sprints to be launched at COP27: smallholder farmers in low- and middle-income countries, methane reduction, emerging technologies and agroecological research. In addition, AIM for Climate announced another path for partner involvement: “AIM for Climate Ideations.” The Ideations will center around insight sharing, collaboration, institutional capacity building, demonstration and deployment of agricultural innovations that support AIM for Climate objectives.
