The joint fund between the United Arab Emirates and the United States to help prepare the agricultural sector to better cope with the negative impacts of climate change was doubled on Friday to $17 billion at COP28 in Dubai. The aim is to build more resilient agricultural and food systems.
AIM for Climate
AIM for Climate announced that it has raised an additional $9 billion, on top of the $8 billion announced at COP27, to accelerate climate-smart agriculture and food system innovation, in partnership with over 600 government and non-government partners. AIM for Climate also presented 27 new rapid innovation initiatives led by partners and self-funded to achieve accelerated outcomes in agriculture and food systems innovation.
New Initiatives
New initiatives include 78 rapid innovation initiatives, nearly double what was announced at COP27, aligned with one or more focus areas in the AIM for Climate rapid innovation initiative: smallholder farmers in low- and middle-income countries, emerging technologies, agro-environmental research, and methane emissions reduction.
Animal Feed and Biofertilizer Project in Rwanda
Ertharin Cousin, CEO of Food Systems for the Future, is leading a $55 million system for animal feed and biofertilizer production in Rwanda, thanks to the UAE-US AIM for Climate initiative. This project will launch in 2025 and is the first automated insect protein production facility in Africa in Kigali to convert organic waste into nutritious feed and biofertilizers, enhancing sustainable nutrition and reducing Rwanda’s reliance on soy feed and chemicals.
Practical Impact of the Project
Cousin believes this step will help combat chronic malnutrition in Rwanda. “We just want every mother and child to have access to affordable eggs; that’s the goal,” she added. By reducing the cost of feed, and consequently the cost of production, the price of eggs could be lowered by about 30 percent, making them affordable for mothers wanting to provide nutrient-rich meals for their children. Additionally, black soldier fly larvae are high in protein and will help mothers access essential protein sources during pregnancy and breastfeeding, according to Cousin.
Enhancing African Crops
Dr. Carrie Fowler, U.S. Special Envoy for Global Food Security, spoke about the vision for climate-adaptive crops and soils (VACS), which aims to bolster resilient food systems producing more diversity, initially focusing on the African continent. VACS has invested $100 million in new funding and aims to increase agricultural and nutritional productivity by developing diverse climate-resilient crop varieties and building healthy soils. Through bilateral partnerships and partnerships with the private sector, VACS will work to mobilize resources for agricultural research and development through direct and indirect contributions.
Transforming Global Food Systems
Maryam bint Mohammed Al Mehairi said, “We are witnessing tremendous progress in transforming global food systems at COP28, which has placed this issue at the core of the presidency agenda.” She added, “The world is coming together to implement the ‘UAE COP28 Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Resilient Food Systems’ with the endorsement of 134 countries, alongside the support it has received from non-governmental partners. The significant advancements made by AIM for Climate are another step in promoting climate-smart agriculture, backed by innovation and advanced technology, which are critical to enhancing productivity and building resilience in the sector.”
AIM for Climate is considered the first global alliance for agriculture, food systems, and climate change of its kind that works to accelerate collaborative action between government, nonprofit, and private sector entities to increase their self-investments in climate-smart agriculture and food system innovations and solutions.
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