David Hughes’ Post

📣 We need a rapid redirection of funds to flip agriculture from being part of the problem to offering solutions to our health, climate and biodiversity crises.  Moving away from a fossil-fuel based food system won’t be cheap. We need to see billions pour into changing the way we produce and consume food. But it’s cheaper than what’s currently spent on harmful agricultural subsidies. It’s also a fraction of the true cost of current food production, which comes to a staggering $12 trillion a year, according to the FAO. It manifests in hefty medical bills and the degradation of our soil, air, water, and biodiversity. There is a political appetite to make this transition and integrate agroecological approaches to farming into policy. Learn more with examples of food systems transition in action in a Common Dreams article written by our Deputy Director Lauren Baker and Global Alliance members Jane Maland Cady, McKnight Foundation, Michael Kwame Nkonu, IKEA Foundation. https://bit.ly/4eBryGj #foodsystems #foodsystemstransformation #climatechange #climateaction

🌱COP28 and African Food Systems: Traditional food and seed systems, informed by Indigenous knowledge and nature's wisdom, require support to become nourishing, biodiverse, carbon-negative, and fair. Philanthropic investment can catalyze locally-led adaptations, aiding small food enterprises and communities in building resilience against climate change and ecosystem degradation. This shifts the focus from global, profit-driven agendas to empowering local agency and sustainable practices, essential for addressing food insecurity and environmental challenges in Africa. https://lnkd.in/gZ4gYKH9

🌍🌿 In this decisive decade, the way we grow, consume and package our food cannot be ignored or siloed in an all-hands-on-deck effort to meet our climate and biodiversity goals. 👨🏿🌾👩🏽🌾 From East Africa to the Andes and across the globe, support for Indigenous and agroecological approaches is vital to sustain the important contributions made by smallholder farmers in building thriving and sustainable local and regional food economies while protecting biodiversity and growing resilience in the face of climate change. By embracing agroecology, communities have better control over the food they produce to future-proof their livelihoods and to make decisions to strengthen food sovereignty based on locally-tested solutions and knowledge. 💲📈 It’s a race against time and we urgently need to see the money—in the tens of billions of dollars—move towards real solutions, particularly where policies are ready to be turned into action. Right now, investments into agroecology and regenerative approaches by the philanthropic, public, and the private sectors is estimated to be just $44 billion per year. 📣 That's why Jane Maland Cady with McKnight's Global Collaboration for Resilient Food Systems, Lauren Baker with the Global Alliance for the Future of Food, and Michael Kwame Nkonu at IKEA Foundation, along with our partners, are calling on governments, the private sector, and other philanthropic partners to join us in this initiative and commit to scaling up their investments so communities, Indigenous Peoples, and the health and the future of all living beings and the planet are at the center of our financial decisions. 👉🏾 Read the full opinion at Common Dreams: https://lnkd.in/gxjD7CYc

A Debate article in Sustainable Earth Reviews provides a brief background about the sustainable development goal 2 (zero hunger) and discusses the main challenges that the pathway towards zero hunger will have to tackle.

🏦 Climate finance is high up on the agenda at this year’s major climate conferences. More money must flow into sustainable food systems to avert the climate and ecological crisis.    🤝🏽In so many parts of the world food production takes place on the frontline of the climate crisis. It’s critical that a food systems transition uplifts communities and their livelihoods, protects the climate and prevents biodiversity loss.    🌱A growing partnership of philanthropies aims to unlock finance to accelerate and scale agroecological farming.     Learn more in the Common Dreams article by our partners Global Alliance for the Future of Food, IKEA Foundation and McKnight Foundation: https://bit.ly/4eBryGj    #foodsystemstransformation #climatefinance #agroecology

The global food system currently accounts for ~80% of global biodiversity loss and ~30% of greenhouse gas emissions, among many other externalities. The cost of shifting toward 100% regenerative & agroecological #foodsystems is less than 5% of the hidden cost of food. Governments at #COP28 should multiply their spending on #foodsystemtransformation. Follow the example of Global Alliance for the Future of Food, Oak Foundation, McKnight Foundation, IKEA Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, Agroecology Fund and their peers!

With the world's attention focused on climate change and sustainable development, it is imperative that we prioritize the transformation of agriculture and food production in Africa. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) emphasizes the need to shift from traditional farming practices to more sustainable and climate-resilient approaches. This includes promoting agroecology, supporting small-scale farmers, and investing in rural infrastructure. By doing so, we can not only improve food security but also reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance the resilience of rural communities to climate change impacts. Investing in Africa's agriculture sector will generate employment opportunities, particularly for the youth, and contribute to poverty reduction. Together, we can build a more resilient and inclusive food system for Africa. #COP28 #smallscalefarmers #SDGS #IFAD

This is the first time that food will be featured as a thematic day at COP. A promising step for the transformation of food systems as climate change continues to impact farmer production. Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) is one project of the Afdb implemented by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) that is working to put the most modern high yielding climate smart technologies into the hand of farmers - an important first step for adressing food systems in Africa. #TAAT , #IITA

By addressing critical issues affecting us: hunger, malnutrition, climate change, employment, and rural livelihood improvement, INNOECOFOOD Project aligns with the UN's sustainable development goals. It challenges the conventional focus on rapid economic urban development, which has often resulted in adverse health and environmental impacts, especially in Africa due to access to rich protein foods as from insects. Additionally it integrates use of renewable energy, reduced water consumption, and circular systems in aquaculture to align with the European Green Deal aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% in 2030 and become net zero by 2050, that in a long-term is providing solutions to address rising food costs, and availability challenges influenced by climate change. Learn more Sustainable Aquaculture role in boosting African Nutrition and Economy: https://lnkd.in/g_hqYSBX #PartnersAgainstHunger #INNOECOFOOD #TheShambaCalendar #Aquaculture

Food waste is a pressing global issue that not only squanders valuable resources but also exacerbates hunger and environmental degradation. Amid the pressing issue of food security, exacerbated by climate change, the Acting Now project emphasizes the need to assist farmers in optimizing their harvest yields. To address this, the program is exploring the implementation of a Farmer-to-Market Tool. This initiative aims to improve market access and efficiency by establishing aggregation centers. Learn more about the Acting Now project here: https://lnkd.in/dnHkvh7b #FoodSecurity #SmallholderFarmers Nozipho Ndlovu Solidaridad Southern Africa