Agriculture was at the centre of attention at the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) that took place in November, and developed countries made it clear that they were in the discussion for mitigation and not adaptation, said T. Jayaraman, Senior Fellow – Climate Change with M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF).
Speaking at a hybrid session on the COP27 on Tuesday, he said the target was a very significant portion of the global population comprising small and marginal farmers who have contributed very little to global warming but will have to bear the brunt of the warming. India worked very closely with G77 to put in place protective measures.
“We wanted further protection and ring fencing of small holders from mitigation pressures. A new four-year long programme on agriculture and food security was also initiated. Its broad objectives have been laid out and engaging with this is important keeping in mind the vulnerability of millions associated with this sector,” he said.
Climate loss and damage were issues that came out strongly during the negotiations held at the convention in Egypt, and so did climate financing inequalities, which are critical to enhance mitigation action for developing countries. The onus now is on multilateral development banks and international financial institutions to mobilise public funding to tackle global climate emergencies, he said.
Nature-based solutions are being looked upon as an ecosystem-based approach to mitigation and adaption, but sustainable use of natural resources need more attention, especially for agricultural-dependent countries like India that has millions of small-holder farmers facing climate risks, he explained.
