The Call to Action remains open for signatories until December 10, which marks the first-ever thematic day dedicated to food, agriculture, and water at COP. The call was developed in collaboration with the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions.
In Dubai at COP28, a diverse coalition, including farmers, businesses, cities, and more, has issued a compelling Non-State Actors Call to Action. This call unites various actors in food and agriculture around a shared vision and priority actions for transforming food systems. It urges the establishment of time-bound global targets by COP29 and evidence-based transition pathways.
Over 150 entities have already endorsed this call, contributing their own specific commitments to the shared agenda. These include corporate pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, support for regenerative agriculture, philanthropic commitments to finance food systems, and contributions from civil society and research organizations.
Additional announcements, initiatives and actions on food systems are expected at COP28, which are all intended to drive measurable progress in the next two years to COP30 in Brazil.
While 30 percent of food is lost or wasted, over 900 million people are food insecure, many of whom work in agriculture, and over 3 billion cannot afford a healthy diet.
This Call to Action builds on decades of knowledge, experience and advocacy from a wide range of Non-State Actors working on food systems, the UN Food Systems Summits, and various other processes.
Razan Al Mubarak, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28, said “Transforming our food systems is paramount to protecting nature, safeguarding food and nutrition security, and combating climate change. We are facing a dual climate-nature crisis, and we must act with appropriate urgency, ambition, and scale. The Emirates Declaration is a huge step forward in government leadership on food systems.
As the High-Level Champion for COP28, it is my honour to launch this Non-State Actors Call to Action to demonstrate the shared determination of farmers, businesses, cities, civil society, philanthropy and many others to collaborate on the most critical actions that will unlock the transformative potential of food and agriculture to deliver positive outcomes for people, nature and climate.”
“Climate change poses an enormous threat to farmers and food production. We need greater recognition of farmers, with a particular focus on women and youth, as equal partners in addressing this global challenge,” said Elizabeth Nsimadala, President of the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF) and a Ugandan smallholder farmer.
“This includes meaningfully engaging them in climate processes at all levels and building their capacity to adapt and respond to growing climate risks and shocks. Eastern Africa Farmers Federation supports the Non-State Actors Call to Action as a shared vision for agriculture and food systems as a climate solution.”
The coalition of Non-State Actors endorsing this call to action spans:
- Farmers groups that represent farmer organisations from Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa, Latin America and North America, including the World Farmers Organisation, Eastern Africa Farmers Federation, Jamaica Network of Rural Women Producers, European Carbon Farmers, and other small and medium sized farmer groups;
- Indigenous Peoples groups, including the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities and The Indigenous Partnership for Agrobiodiversity and Food Sovereignty (TIP);
- Businesses, including Danone, Unilever and Nestlé, and business organisations such as WBCSD and SMEs;
- Civil society groups – a cross-section of climate, nutrition, nature/biodiversity, animal rights, consumer groups and others, including Consumers International, The Nature Conservancy, Rainforest Alliance, Conservation International, WWF, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, Access to Nutrition Initiative, the Food and Land Use Coalition, the Waste Resources and Action Programme (WRAP), Compassion in World Farming, and World Animal Welfare;
- Cities and city networks, including C40 and ICLEI, and NYC Mayor’s Office of Food;
- Philanthropies, including Rockefeller Foundation, Bezos Earth Fund, IKEA Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, Mo Ibrahim Foundation, ClimateWorks Foundation, and the Global Alliance for the Future of Food;
- Financial institutions, including GAWA Capital, Pegasus Capital and Clarmondial, and investor networks such as the Good Food Finance Network and Asia Investor Group on Climate Change;
- Research institutions, including CGIAR, Simon Fraser University, Stanford Centre for Ocean Solutions, and Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab (J-WAFS), Massachusetts Institute of Technology
A list of all entities signing the Call to Action includes:
- 4SD foundation
- Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab (J-WAFS), Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Access To Nutrition Initiative (ATNI)
- Africa Centre for Sustainable and Inclusive Development
- African Climate Foundation
- Agroecology Fund
- AMAGRO A.G.
- Aquatic Blue Food Coalition
- Asia Investor Group on Climate Change
- B Lab Global
- Banco de Alimentos Paraguay
- Bezos Earth Fund
- Biodiversity Television Network
- C40 Cities
- Cafedirect PLC
- CARE
- Center for Global Commons at U-Tokyo
- Centre Multifonctionnel de Bepanda pour les personnes socialement vulnérables (CMB)
- CGIAR
- Children’s Investment Fund Foundation
- Chilis on Wheels
- China Association for Social and Economic Systematic Analysis
- Christian Aid
- Clarmondial
- CLAS Coalition for Americas’ Health
- Cleantech21 Foundation
- Climate Action Network Uganda
- ClimateWorks Foundation
- Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH)
- Coalizão Brasil Clima, Florestas e Agricultura
- Commonland
- Compassion in World Farming
- Conservation International
- Consumers International
- COP28 Action Agenda on Regenerative Landscapes
- CORDIO East Africa
- Danone
- Degas Ghana Limited
- dsm-firmenich
- Eastern Africa Farmers Federation
- EAT
- Ecosistema Jaguar
- Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford
- Environmental Defense Fund
- European Carbon Farmers
- European Climate Foundation
- Farmbiosis
- Farmers’ Seed Network (China)
- Food and Land Use Coalition
- Food Bank Botswana
- Food Banks Canada
- Food Security Foundation India, India Food Banking Network
- Food Systems Pavilion
- Food, Farming & Countryside Commission
- Galletas Gullón S.A.
- GAWA Capital
- GENDERCC SOUTHERN AFRICA WOMEN FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE
- Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition
- Global Alliance for the Future of Food
- Global Alliance for Territorial Communities
- Philanthropic Collaboration for Renegerative and Agroecological Transitions
- Global Commons Alliance
- Global Methane Hub
- Good Food Finance Network
- Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment
- Greenspoon
- Griffith Foods
- Growing to Give
- GYBN Niger
- Health of the Soil International
- Heliopolis University
- ICLEI CityFood
- IFOAM – Organics International
- IKEA
- IKEA Foundation
- Indigo Ag
- Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd.
- Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Instituto Regenera
- International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA)
- Jamaica Network of Rural Women Producers
- JVE International
- Macdoch Foundation
- McKnight Foundation
- Mercy For Animals
- Micro Enterprise Support Programme Trust
- Mo Ibrahim Foundation
- Mulloon Institute
- Municipality of Funchal
- Natural Capitalism Solutions
- Nestlé
- No Hunger Food Bank
- NYC Mayor’s Office of Food Policy
- OCP Group
- One planet Business for Biodiversity (OP2B)
- Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum
- Paulig Group
- Pegasus Capital Advisors
- Planet Tracker
- Plenty
- Pollination
- Proforest
- ProVeg International
- Rainforest Alliance
- Rare
- Regen10
- Regional Impact Trade Alliance
- Robert Bosch Stiftung
- SDG2 Advocacy Hub
- SDSN
- SEKEM
- Shenzhen GoalBlue Low Carbon Development Promoting Center
- Simon Fraser University
- Skills4impact
- SM SUNRISE GLOBAL VISIONS (SSGV)
- SOCIETE SOMMAC
- Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions
- Stronger Foundations for Nutrition
- Support for Women in Agriculture and Environment
- Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture
- Syngenta Group
- SynTao Co., Ltd.
- Systemiq
- Tapp Coalition
- Tetra Pak
- The Advanced Plant Growth Centre
- The Blended Finance Taskforce
- The Club of Rome
- The Egyptian Bio-Dynamic Association – EBDA
- The Farm of Francesco
- The Food and Land Use Coalition
- The Food Foundation
- The Food System Resiliency Table
- The Global FoodBanking Network
- The Good Food Fund
- The Good Food Institute
- The Indigenous Partnership for Agrobiodiversity and Food Sovereignty (TIP)
- The Nature Conservancy
- The Rockefeller Foundation
- The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP)
- Transforming Urban Rural Food Systems Consortium
- True Value of Food Initiative
- Unilever
- UNISC International
- Viña Polkura
- Walton Family Foundation
- Wellbeing Economy Alliance
- Wetlands International
- World Animal Protection
- World Benchmarking Alliance
- World Business Council for Sustainable Development
- World Farmers Organisation
- World Future Council
- WWF
- YOUNGO
Facundo Etchebehere, SVP Sustainable Strategy & Partnerships at Danone, said “The food sector is unique in its potential to address climate change through both emissions reductions and removals, while strengthening food and nutrition security, livelihoods and biodiversity. Danone is transforming our business in line with 1.5°C, with 2030 targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative and Global Methane Pledge and increasing our sourcing from farms that have started the transition to regenerative agriculture. We need a step change in ambition, backed by stronger accountability, and greater collaboration across sectors and stakeholder groups, which is why we are pleased to support the COP28 Non-State Actors Call to Action.”
Global food systems have become a focus at COP28 as the way food is grown, processed, packaged, transported and consumed contributes over one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), 80 percent of biodiversity loss, and accounts for 70 percent of the world’s fresh water use. It is also a major driver of poor health and of inequity.
Food systems are also a victim of climate change, nature loss and conflict. These crises are undermining food and nutrition security and the livelihoods of billions of people. Over 900 million people are food insecure, and over 3 billion cannot afford a healthy diet.
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Additional Quotes:
João Campari, Global Food Practice Leader, WWF: “Over the past few years the food sector has united in its demand for transformation to benefit climate, nature and people. Civil society has been key in raising food on the climate and nature agendas and now, at COP28, it is time to translate this into ambitious global commitments and scalable local action.
I am pleased that the shared Call to Action prioritises integrated food systems approaches as we at WWF believe the solutions that will deliver the most impact in the shortest time combine the issues of climate, nature, and food and nutrition security, delivering multiple benefits to multiple stakeholders.”
Juan Carlos Jintiach, Executive Secretary, Global Alliance for Territorial Communities (GATC): “Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities are guarding the future of Mother Earth for the benefit of all humanity. Our Alliance members protect 958 million hectares of land, across 24 countries in which we are represented. The world needs to respect our rights and ancestral lands. If we continue to be under attack, the biodiversity and knowledge we protect will disappear and there will be no food or future for anyone on this planet.”
Andy Jarvis, Director Future of Food, Bezos Earth Fund: “COP28 has put food systems firmly on the climate agenda. Philanthropy has a key role to play in supporting the food systems transition to deliver for people, nature, and climate. I am delighted to support the Non-State Actors Call to Action and commend the shared vision and priority actions that groups across food systems are committing to.
The Bezos Earth Fund has committed US$1bn by 2030 to support food systems transformation to tackle the dual threats of climate change and biodiversity loss, whilst delivering healthy food to a growing population. In COP28, new grants totaling US$57m are announced which will reduce methane from livestock, tackle deforestation in the Amazon and spur greater country level ambition and action in NDCs. We will applaud and support brave and bold action by state- and non-state actors to rebalance our food systems to deliver health to people and planet.”
Source: UNFCC Climate Champions
