27 new projects were announced at COP28, ranging from $500 million to $150,000. Shutterstock.
Introduction
Funding for the joint efforts of the United States and the United Arab Emirates to promote climate-friendly agriculture worldwide has been announced to exceed $17 billion, the two countries announced on Friday at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, according to Reuters.
New Projects
Nearly 80 projects have been announced under the AIM for Climate initiative since 2021, aimed at expanding agricultural research, implementing sustainable farming practices, and reducing methane emissions.
The Importance of Agriculture at the Climate Summit
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told Reuters on the sidelines of the conference, “I think it has made people think about food and agriculture in a very different way,” adding, “And I think that is manifested, frankly, in the fact that this conference … has elevated food (and) agriculture to the point that it has become an integral part of COP meetings. And that wasn’t the case in the previous 27.”
Increased Funding
Funding for these efforts has increased from $13 billion in May, when the U.S. and UAE hosted the AIM for Climate summit in Washington, and from $8 billion at COP27.
The New Projects
The newly announced projects at COP28 range from $500 million to $150,000. In one of the largest projects, companies like Bungie, Google, Nature Conservancy, and the Brazilian state of Pará are working on expanding regenerative agriculture, which generally refers to practices such as reduced tillage in farmland and lower pesticide use.
Focus on Agriculture at the Summit
For the first time, agriculture will be a focus of this year’s climate summit, with a full day on December 10 dedicated to food and agriculture topics.
Addressing Agricultural Methane Emissions
Advocacy groups want countries and companies participating in the summit to commit to tackling agricultural methane emissions specifically, as most of these emissions come from livestock production.
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