Can Science and Technologies Alone Build Climate Resilience in Africa and the Middle East?

18:30 – 20:00 ON NOVEMBER 9 in AKHENATEN (150) – Co-convened by ICARDA and the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT, this UNFCCC official side event will reflect on key components that are often overlooked but vital for fully comprehensive and effective climate-resilient food systems, including enabling policies and financial incentives that drive the adoption of innovative approaches and technology.  

The audience and speakers at the event will discuss the importance of enabling policy environments, capacity building, finance mechanisms, and farmers’ empowerment to ensure that technologies and innovations for climate-resilient food systems are adopted at scale and reach their full potential. The session will also discuss the value of inclusive and ongoing agri-food systems research carried out in partnership with country stakeholders, the private sector, and farmers to address context-specific challenges, market demands, and needs.   

OBJECTIVES 

Raise awareness of the vital role of enabling environments and actions and understand the gaps and barriers that prevent the uptake of technologies and innovations within climate-resilient agri-food systems.  

Discuss how such enabling environments and actions can amplify the impact of new science and technology to address the food systems priorities and needs of Africa and the Middle East.   

Explore how ongoing research and inclusivity in solutions for climate-adapted and resilient agri-food systems can be improved to ensure enabling environments and actions are included.   

Raise the profile of participating organizations and their expertise in this field.   

Strengthen relationships between participants and audiences.   

Set the stage for unlocking increased investments from traditional and new funders toward the meaningful transformation of food, land, and water systems  by the inclusion of enabling environments and actions in food systems research for development.    

AGENDA