Food & Climate
The Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU) is working to change food and land use systems. At the upcoming 30th U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP30) they see a moment to make another great step toward food and agriculture systems transformation.
FOLU works in seven countries to “rewire food systems to help solve climate change,” Morgan Gillespy, the coalition’s Executive Director, said.
Many members in FOLU’s network came to this work concerned about the environment, Gillespy explains. As their work to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions unfolded, they saw the many advantages their efforts—when framed correctly—can also have on health, diet, biodiversity, and people’s livelihoods.
Some may call this systems thinking or silo-breaking, Gillespy says, “but really it’s identifying the co-benefits that we believe are achievable through the lens of food systems”, according to a report seen by “Food & Climate” platform.
COP30
This year, COP30 will take place in Brazil this November—and Gillespy is hopeful that it will build on the progress the food movement has celebrated over the last four years as they connect the dots between food production, consumption, and the climate crisis.
At COP26 in Ireland, the government focused on forests, “which was a huge step forward,” allowing advocates to broaden the climate conversation to include food and agriculture, Gillespy says. At COP28 in the United Arab Emirates, “food finally made it on the scene,” through the UAE Declaration on Food and Agriculture. By signing the Declaration, more than 160 world leaders pledged to put food and agriculture front and center in their climate policies.
This year, Gillespy sees another significant opportunity, pointing to the Brazilian Government’s newly released action agenda for the Conference. Of the six pillars, one is focused on food and agriculture, with sub-elements honing in on land restoration, climate adaptation, and food security.
“This…is the most comprehensive inclusion of food systems that we’ve had to date in a COP,” Gillespy tells Food Tank. She also adds that the COP30 Presidency is adamant that this year’s COP will prioritize implementation—it isn’t one for vague commitments and target setting.
“We’re thrilled that COP30 is really going to be yet another unique turning point on food systems”.
Brazil drought
In November, the world’s eyes will turn—momentarily, at least—to Brazil as global leaders gather in the Amazonian city of Belém for the COP30 UN climate summit.
The window for delegates and the host government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to grab attention will be small. Previous COP summits have so far failed to convert years of climate promises into actionable policies. The international community is not on track to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. And the climate movement itself seems to be struggling at a time when Donald Trump is in the White House and so many countries have other priorities.
In our cover story, Beto Veríssimo and Juliano Assunção present a straightforward proposal that has Lula’s support: restoring tropical forests, such as the Amazon, either by planting trees or allowing natural regeneration. If restored, tropical forests can absorb vast quantities of carbon, and climate policies can help direct funding and resources to protect and sustainably manage these forests.
Brazil and the Amazon serve as a cautionary tale. Last year’s drought, which affected almost 60% of Brazil’s territory and was considered one of the worst in decades, led to higher energy prices and hurt the country’s agricultural production. In the Amazon region, rivers such as the Rio Negro dried up, forcing communities to rely on water trucks for access to drinking water. Wildfires spread throughout the country, cloaking major cities in smoke.
As both a climate leader and a major oil producer, Brazil will face pressure to lead this forum credibly. Nations remain divided on the $300 billion annual commitment that rich countries pledged at COP29 in Baku to combat climate change. And there is still skepticism about the agreement reached in Dubai at COP28, which for the first time called on the world to transition away from fossil fuels.
All eyes will be on Belém to see if COP30 can deliver on one of the most urgent issues facing humanity: global climate action, according to “Americas Quarterly”.