Emirates Declaration on agriculture is a missed moment to tackle the most pressing issues

Press Release - Reacting to the "Emirates Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems and Climate Action" launched by the COP28 Presidency today, Teresa Anderson, ActionAid International's global lead on climate justice says: 

"Industrial agriculture is the second largest source of global greenhouse gas emissions, largely due to its reliance on fossil-fuelled fertilisers, and its role in driving deforestation and factory farming of livestock. At the same time, agriculture is the sector most vulnerable to climate impacts. As corporations have taken control over our most basic human needs, the world’s food systems have become complicit in their own destruction. 

"Today’s launch of the Emirates Declaration by the COP28 presidency is a missed opportunity to take the bull by the horns when it comes to agriculture. A focus on smallholder farmers and greater integration between climate and agriculture strategies are to be welcomed. However, the Declaration’s blend of generic and inoffensive commitments does not diagnose or address the issues that drive injustice, vulnerability, and climate change in our food systems. The emphasis on so-called 'innovation' and international trade risks casting exploitative industrial agribusiness corporations as the solution instead of the problem." 

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