As climate change poses a major challenge to achieve Agenda 2030, countries need to reaffirm their commitment to the Paris Agreement and to its implementation with greater ambition. IFOAM – Organics International calls on parties to the first ever climate COP to be hosted by a small–island state to concentrate on alleviating the problems of those who suffer most from climate change although they have contributed least to the problems.
With planetary warming setting a record of about 1.1°C above the pre-industrial period, it is clear that climate actions play a central role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. We expect world leaders gathered at the UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn to show that President Trump’s decision to turn his back on the Paris Agreement leads to a more strengthened, not weakened global alliance to tackle climate change and achieve the SDGs.
For millions of people in the most vulnerable regions of the world, it’s not only their lives and land which are directly affected by climate change, but also their food security. In these cases, adaptation means making farms more resilient.
Agroecological farming systems such as organic agriculture can bring this resilience to food systems while enhancing soil-carbon sequestration. In addition, agroecology contributes to a number of SDGs by reducing poverty and environmental pollution and improving food and nutrition security and human health.
To recognize this, Parties should establish a UNFCCC work program on agriculture and food security to prioritize the permanent reduction of non-CO2 emissions in agriculture as well as adaptation issues and the need to safeguard land rights and food security in order to make the inevitable links to other SDGs.
You can learn more about what we expect from and do at the COP here.
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