A statement published by the press office of this international institution highlights that in a message addressed to the forum, FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu emphasized that the shortage of funds to address climate change is “a missed opportunity for a sector that could reduce global emissions by a third.”
“Transforming global agri-food systems to be more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable is fundamental to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change,” the Director-General stressed in the note sent to the meeting, convened by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
“Investment remains far below what is needed to achieve a large-scale transformation of agri-food systems,” Qu noted in the document addressed to the summit, held ahead of the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), scheduled for November 10-21 in this city.
Despite increased funding from the Green Climate Fund and the Global Environment Facility, forestry, livestock, fisheries, and agriculture collectively received only 4,0% of total climate-related development finance in 2023, he lamented.
“For a sector that can contribute a third of global emissions reductions, this gap is not only unequal but also represents a missed opportunity,” the senior official added, emphasizing that “by ignoring agri-food systems, we are leaving untapped one of the most effective pathways to low-emission growth.”
At COP30, the FAO will highlight that science-based agri-food solutions can play a key role in reducing emissions, increasing carbon sequestration, restoring ecosystems, and strengthening resilience, the source adds.
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