CLIMATE ACTION
Climate change is the most pressing challenge of our time, particularly because at a global level mitigation and adaptation actions are far below the needs indicated by science, including in the agricultural sector. A joint effort is proposed focused on the climate commitments of the agricultural sector in the region and on strengthening its institutional capacity to participate in climate processes. Recognizing that there are no single production models, it is necessary to ensure local contextualization, effective levels of climate financing, science-based rules, and capacity development. For this reason, the following collective actions are proposed.
Collective actions
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Facilitate the more active and informed participation of the agricultural sector in climate planning and action through: i) support and coordination to negotiators linked to agriculture within the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). ); and ii) strengthening the role of agriculture in the NDCs and national adaptation plans (NAPs).
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Promote actions to increase the agricultural sector's access to climate financing of different types, including private financing, and options such as voluntary carbon markets, green funds, and guarantees, among others; that involve strengthening capacities and developing institutional frameworks of high integrity, transparency and inclusivity.
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Promote greater visibility and participation of the agri-food sector of the Americas in the UNFCCC COPs through the House of Sustainable Agriculture of the Americas Pavilion.
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Promote the Living Soils Initiative of the Americas and the Hemispheric Water and Agriculture Initiative, aimed at improving soil health and integrated water management.
Activities 2023
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IICA at COP28:
IICA, together with its partners, installed the “Pavilion” at COP 28.House of Sustainable Agriculture of the Americas”, with the aim of promoting the participation of the agricultural sector in international climate negotiations, making visible its contributions to the development of collaborative solutions for climate change and scaling climate financing (including voluntary carbon markets). There were 48 events organized by more than 30 partners, with the participation of Ministers and Vice Ministers of Agriculture and 15 countries with climate negotiators.
Living Soils of the Americas Initiative
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Soil health and the transformation of agri-food systems:
Living Soils is an international initiative for articulation and integration between the public and private sectors, aimed at identifying and proposing concrete solutions to strengthen the soil health agenda and the transformation of agri-food systems. It is led by IICA (Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture) and the Carbon Management and Sequestration Center (CMASC) of the Ohio State University (USA). It has the technical guidance of Prof. Rattan Lal, who is a Goodwill Ambassador of the Institute and has been awarded the title IICA Chair in Soil Sciences, winner of the 2020 World Food Prize and co-winner of the Nobel Prize in Peace 2007, awarded to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, of which he was a member
Hemispheric initiative “Water and Agriculture”
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Integrated and efficient management of water use for agriculture:
This Initiative proposes solutions with innovative approaches that respond to the availability and quality of water and soils, the level of development of infrastructure for agriculture, exposure to droughts and floods, the sustainable use of groundwater resources and the institutional capacity of the actors involved. Its objective is to build capacity and promote strategic public-private partnerships in IICA's member countries to improve the integrated and efficient management of water use for agriculture by supporting the ministries of agriculture and governing bodies.
Publications
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Bovine livestock and climate change in the Americas. Towards low carbon development models.Download link
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Opportunities for the agricultural sector and blue carbon in Latin America and the Caribbean in voluntary carbon markets.Download link
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Carbon Market Opportunities in livestock production, and cocoa and coffee agroforestry systems. An analysis of opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean.Download link