News in brief:
– The 2023 global food security summit highlighted the immediate need for climate action to safeguard food supplies, with the UAE inviting nations to endorse a declaration on resilient food systems and sustainable agriculture at COP28.
– Participants committed to tackling climate-related threats to global food production, pledging to reduce child malnutrition and stunting by 2030, while emphasising the role of science and technology in developing innovative solutions for more sustainable and resilient food systems.
The United Kingdom government’s global food security summit, held on November, 20, 2023, focused on the urgent need for climate action to protect food supplies.
During the summit, the United Arab Emirates government invited nations to endorse an “Emirates Leaders’ Declaration on Resilient Food Systems, Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Action,” expected to be signed by more than 100 world leaders at the upcoming COP28 climate change summit.
The conference also emphasised the critical importance of renewed multilateral action on food security and climate change, particularly in the face of global conflicts and disruptions. Furthermore, it placed a strong emphasis on the relationship between climate change and food security.
Participants acknowledged the growing threat that climate change posed to global food production and distribution systems. Subsequently, they agreed to new commitments aimed at addressing food security challenges.
For example, participants committed to reducing child malnutrition by 50% by 2030 stunting by 30% within the same timetable.
Additionally, the summit emphasised the importance of science and technology in developing innovative solutions to food security challenges. Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, said that these tools will help to produce more with less while leaving no one behind.
The participants agreed to work towards creating more sustainable and resilient food systems.
Finally, the summit concluded with a call for renewed multilateral action on food security and climate change. Participants recognised the urgent need for international cooperation to address these challenges.
