ICARDA at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan

The 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29), to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11 to 22, 2024, will focus on advancing the goals of the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement by addressing global warming, climate adaptation, and securing necessary funding for actions to tackle climate change, including research and development in climate-smart agriculture. ICARDA will be at COP29 to underscore the crucial role of international collaboration in driving climate-smart research to transform food, land, and water systems in vulnerable dryland regions.

Agriculture supports over two billion people in dryland regions, but it faces increasing threats from climate change and unsustainable practices, jeopardizing food security, livelihoods, and the environment. Building resilient and sustainable dryland agri-food systems is now a vital focus of research in the CWANA region and is becoming increasingly relevant worldwide. 

Throughout the conference, ICARDA will engage in meetings, events, and open dialogue with regional and global partners, stakeholders, and decision-makers, to demonstrate how CGIAR’s extensive agricultural research expertise can be harnessed to address the growing challenges of climate change through global adaptation and mitigation strategies. 

“COP29 presents a pivotal opportunity to advance our agri-science agenda for resilient dryland livelihoods through open dialogue and collaboration. Alongside our partners, we will showcase cutting-edge agri-innovation within the food, peace, and conflict nexus, discuss disseminating knowledge via the Harmoniya Initiative, and secure stakeholder approval of the CGIAR Global Strategy for Resilient Drylands co-led by ICARDA and ICRISAT.” 

~ Aly Abousabaa, Director General ICARDA and Regional Director CGIAR for the CWANA region ~

 

 Key topics include the Climate Smart Villages Plus (CSV+) approach, strengthening the humanitarian-development-peace (HDP) nexus, and fostering cross-border collaboration for sustainable resource management. Through the Harmoniya initiative, ICARDA will emphasize a just transition in agrifood systems, showcasing CGIAR’s innovations and strategies to scale sustainable financing while ensuring marginalized communities, especially farmers, are empowered. The events will also address the unique challenges facing dryland communities, promoting solutions to enhance resilience and long-term stability.

Furthermore, ICARDA will leverage COP29’s global platform to conduct the final stage of consultation on the CGIAR Global Strategy for Resilient Drylands (GSRD) ahead of its public launch later this year. GSRD is a partner-led initiative that addresses the agri-challenges posed by climate change, desertification, and water scarcity in drylands to generate resilient livelihoods by promoting climate-smart agriculture, conserving biodiversity, enhancing soil and water management, and ensuring access to healthy diets. 

Food and agriculture gained prominence in climate talks at COP27, which introduced the FAST initiative to accelerate agrifood system transformation for people, climate, and nature. The summit also launched the Koronivia work program and hosted the first food-systems pavilion. COP28 built on this momentum with the first dedicated Food, Agriculture, and Water Day and the signing of the Emirates Declaration by over 150 countries, emphasizing resilient food systems as key to addressing climate change.

"The Thematic Day devoted to Food, Agriculture, and Water at COP29 demonstrates the importance the COP29 Presidency places on agriculture and advancing sustainable and resilient food systems globally. Climate change is already lowering crop yields, contributing to water shortages and land degradation, and limiting our ability to feed a growing planet." 

~ Mukhtar Babayev, COP29 President-Designate ~

ICARDA’s COP29 delegation, led by Aly Abousabaa, CGIAR's Regional Director for CWANA and Director General of ICARDA, will lead or participate in numerous events throughout the conference.

We will also join sister research centers at the COP29 Food and Agriculture Pavilion, co-convened by CGIAR and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), which will host a series of events throughout the conference.