A ministerial meeting on the Food and Agriculture Sustainable Transformation (FAST) Partnership was held during COP29, discussing climate financing, farmer support, and global cooperation, Report informs.
The meeting, organized by Azerbaijan's Ministry of Agriculture and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), was moderated by Kaveh Zahedi, Director of FAO's Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment.
Speaking at the event, Azerbaijan's Minister of Agriculture Majnun Mammadov described FAST as an important platform aimed at meeting urgent needs for effective climate action in agriculture by mobilizing financing to reach farmers and rural communities affected by climate change. He added that FAST creates a unified approach to ensure climate solutions in agricultural systems are effective and inclusive.
During discussions, speakers including Egypt's Deputy Minister of Agriculture Adel Abdelazim, COP28 Food Systems Group Advisor Zack Bleicher, Head of Climate Action at Brazil's Foreign Ministry Mario Mottin, and others addressed issues such as the importance of COP-to-COP cooperation to accelerate climate financing, connections between FAST and "Harmony" initiatives, transformation of agricultural systems, and creating a sustainable agricultural system adapted to climate challenges.