Nature and Land Use Day marked by new agriculture commitments

​Capping off the first week of COP26, Nature and Land Use Day (November 6) saw the launch of the Global Action Agenda for Innovation in Agriculture – #ClimateShot. This new initiative, which entails creating a platform to reach 100 million farmers, seeks to establish goals, priorities and specific tools for collective action toward transforming food production systems, with a focus on innovation and net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.

Efforts toward coordination, engagement and investment mentioned in the agenda will be promoted via the platform by the World Economic Forum, Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research and a new impact investing coalition, ClimateShot. The initiative will also involve the participation of farmers’ organizations, civil society groups, companies and other partners.

Furthermore, at an event titled Policy Dialogue, several stakeholders came together to discuss public policies for speeding up the transition toward more sustainable agricultural practices. While agriculture plays a vital role in food production and the economy, it is second only to the energy sector as the largest emitter of greenhouse gases and is among the main contributors to biodiversity loss worldwide.

Sustainability commitments

As part of these discussions, 26 countries announced new commitments to make their agricultural policies more sustainable and less polluting, as well as to invest in science and technology to assist in sustainable agriculture and protecting food supplies against climate change. Brazil’s commitment to scale up its Low Carbon Agriculture Plan (Plano ABC) is worth highlighting, encompassing 72 million hectares (nearly 178 million acres) of land and avoiding one billion tons of emissions by 2030.

The main outcome of Policy Dialogue was the Policy Action Agenda for Transition to Sustainable Food and Agriculture, which defines possible pathways and actions for countries to restructure policies in support of sustainable food and agriculture while allowing for a fair, rural transition toward a low-carbon economy. The agenda also establishes a series of actions and opportunities for other stakeholders (such as international organizations, food producers, financial entities, researchers and civil society) to channel their experience, knowledge and resources in support of it.

States’ commitments in relation to the agriculture sector should help implement aspects of the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use, which aims to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030.

For further information on COP26, see the specialized content developed by Mattos Filho’s Environmental Law and Climate Change practice area:

• Fashion industry renews commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• Youth activists press for climate and humanitarian action at COP26
• Brazil’s state governors launch ‘Consórcio Brasil Verde’
• New international commitment seeks to cut methane gas emissions
• Brazil announces new greenhouse gas emissions goal
• Discussions on new climate finance initiatives progress at COP26
• New international agreement for preserving forests endorsed at COP26

*With the collaboration of Maria Eduarda Garambone, Anna Carolina Gandolfi, Mariana Diel e Gabriel Pereira Bispo de Oliveira.