ECO is pleased that there’s going to be a workshop on the vulnerability of agricultural systems to different climate change scenarios. Climate change poses a serious threat to the food security of millions, and agriculture is important across the globe: food unites us all.
Agriculture is particularly important in developing countries, with approximately 70% of the world’s food insecure people living in rural areas. These individuals primarily are small-scale farmers or agricultural labourers, where they depend on agriculture to support already fragile livelihoods. Systems that may increase in fragility if serious climate action isn’t taken, the sustainability of these systems, and the enhancement of food security are of vital importance.
It is vital that Parties walk-the-talk and agree to prevent dangerous climate change, while also providing the means to deal with unavoidable impacts. ECO urges Parties to take immediate action to promote resilient and equitable food systems. Actions should ensure farmers—and the ecosystems they rely on—are protected and able to manage adverse climate change impacts. Systems should promote farming approaches, such as agroecology, that are sustainable, resilient, equitable, biodiverse and enhance the ecosystems of which they are part.
ECO demands Parties recognise and address not just the impacts of climate change on food production but more broadly on the four pillars of food security (production, access, utilisation and stability). Parties should look at vulnerability along the whole value chain; from input access to storage and access to markets. Small-scale food producers must be able to access support (resources and information), have control over key resources like water and land, and adapt and participate effectively in assessment, planning and policy processes. People most at risk, such as women, must be recognised as key agents for participation, planning and implementation of effective strategies in their communities. Appropriate funding must be made available that prioritises sustainable, adequate and predictable sources of adaptation finance responsive to issues identified by key stakeholders.
The threat of climate change to agriculture and food security is real: we cannot achieve sustainable development or eradicate hunger without ambitious emissions reductions and adaptation action.