AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution) has joined the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate) as a Knowledge Partner. Launched at COP26, AIM for Climate is a UAE-US joint initiative which works to accelerate investments and support for climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation.
At its first Ministerial Meeting in Dubai, AIM for Climate agreed a target of $8 billion from public and private-sector partners for climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation by November 2022 at the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27).
As a Knowledge Partner of AIM for Climate, AGRA supports the objectives of the global initiative and intends to create opportunities to enhance African countries’ agricultural sector readiness for investments and support smallholder farmers adapt to the effects of climate change.
This engagement flowed from a meeting with Her Excellency Mariam Almheiri, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, who shared more about the AIM for Climate initiative, and its goal to catalyse solutions at the intersection of agriculture and climate. The UAE Minister met with AGRA President Dr. Agnes Kalibata and a delegation of Ministers and senior government leaders from Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda during the Agriculture, Food and Livelihoods Week hosted at the Expo 2020 Dubai.
Dr. Kalibata said commitments and action will be needed if smallholders are to adapt to the changing climate. “If no action is taken, climate impacts will lead to overall yield reductions of up to 30% by 2050, while extreme weather events will result in higher losses of post-harvest quality and quantity. AGRA is proud to join the AIM for Climate as a Knowledge Partner and to engage with other participants to seek to accelerate adoption of solutions through its Innovation Sprints,” Dr Kalibata said.
During the Expo, the AGRA President also discussed important opportunities with the World Bank, the Committee on World Food Security, EAT Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Nourishing Africa to support African countries in financing their transitions to more sustainable food systems in the follow-up from the Food Systems Summit.
“Our aim at AGRA is to work closely with African governments to help them access platforms for mobilising resources to push their commitment to transform their food systems forward and translate them into concrete strategies and action. This involves setting targets and reforms to be effected,” she added. “Together with our partners, AGRA is proud to launch the AGRF to be held in Kigali, Rwanda, in September 2022 to support building these implementation plans and bringing Africa’s voice together on food security and climate to COP27 in Egypt later this year”.