FAO at the SDG Forum 2024: climate finance for agrifood systems to accelerate the achievement of the 2030 Agenda
Agrifood systems hold the solutions to major interlinked challenges faced by people and the planet, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, food insecurity and poverty. However, financing and investment are insufficient for agrifood systems transformation. Directing finance to agrifood systems that effectively reach agricultural communities is critical.
These were the themes discussed at the event organized by the FAO Liaison Office in Brussels during the 2024 edition of the Belgian SDG Forum. The event with the title “Climate finance for agrifood systems as a tool to accelerate progress towards the 2030 Agenda” gathered experts from FAO and its partners in Belgium and was also the occasion to present the FAO report on Unjust Climate.
In his opening speech, Raschad Al-Khafaji, Director of the FAO Liaison Office in Brussels, emphasized the critical need to transform agrifood systems as a key opportunity to address food security, biodiversity loss, and climate change. He highlighted the necessity for adequate funding and stressed the importance of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to find a global consensus on these important issues.
Olena Ovchynnikova, Technical Officer at the FAO Office of the Sustainable Development Goals (OSG) walked the audience through the latest related international commitments. She outlined six transition pathways and four engine room actions, identified at last year’s Sustainable Development Goals Summit (SDG Summit). These transitions encompass crucial areas such as food systems, climate change, biodiversity, and pollution, which have been recognized for their catalytic effects across the SDGs, with finance as a crucial enabler. She added that the new Pact for the Future reaffirms global dedication to ending hunger, addressing food insecurity and malnutrition, and tackling climate change. Ovchynnikova concluded with an optimistic message, stressing that there is still time to achieve the 2030 Agenda, but that action is essential.
Nicholas Sitko, Senior Economist at the FAO Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division, presented the Unjust Climate report. As the title reveals, the report analyses how different people are affected differently by the effects of climate change, focusing on low- and middle-income countries and highlights how climate change affects the poor, as well as women-led or elderly households more severely, worsening existing inequalities. He also noted that the current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) rarely mention these marginalized groups. Sitko concluded by calling for actions that translate the evidence of the report into policies, investments, and programmes that leave no one behind.
The presentations were followed by a panel discussion. Annemarie Van de Avort, Director of Environment and Climate at the Belgian Federal Public Service for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, mentioned how the recent Belgian climate strategy aims to support partner countries in strengthening their climate policies, emphasizing climate adaptation efforts. She added that projects like the Dimitra Clubs in Burkina Faso, show the excellent partnership between Belgium and FAO in transforming agrifood systems to make them more resilient to climate change with a focus on women and youth.
Peter Schmidt, President of the Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Section of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), outlined a transformative vision for agrifood systems, emphasizing that achieving it would require investments 26 times greater than current levels. He stressed that such an effort cannot rely solely on government funding, and that “the private sector should be encouraged to invest”.
Adding to this, Professor Leonith Hinojosa, visiting professor at the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), underlined that a comprehensive approach is crucial to ensuring climate finance benefits the most vulnerable populations. This includes addressing the immediate needs and the long-term structural barriers that limit their access to finance.
Finally, Tobias Gräs, Senior Policy Advisor at the Danish Agriculture and Food Council (DAFC), underscored the vital role cooperatives play in driving climate action within the agricultural sector. Gräs explained that cooperatives hold a unique and strategic position, both supporting and representing the farmers who own them. He emphasized that for agricultural climate actions to be effective and sustainable, they must be backed by a clear business case. Cooperatives excel in this area, providing the structure, support, and economic viability needed for farmers to adopt climate-smart practices successfully. The event concluded with a short but engaging Q&A session that allowed the speakers to dive deeper into certain topics.
The FAO Liaison Office in Brussels moderated the event and wrapped it up, emphasizing the importance of its topic for the upcoming COP29, taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The afternoon of the same day, FAO presented the Unjust Climate Report to the UN Brussels Gender Working Group, offering deeper insights into the report’s findings on gender dynamics and the specific challenges faced by rural women in the context of a changing climate.
The Unjust Climate Report was also presented at a debate organized by the Section for Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment (NAT) of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), focusing on "Women and the Triple Planetary Crisis," held on 13 November.