Reaching the Paris Agreement's goals of creating sustainability, adaptation, and reducing carbon emissions will be impossible without tackling problems stemming from agriculture and food systems, said Kaveh Zahedi, Director of the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Report informs.
The director made this statement during a panel discussion titled "AgriFuture 2024: The Impact of Human Capital Investments on Sustainable Agricultural Transformation" held as a part of COP29.
"Climate change has a serious impact on agriculture and food systems. Agricultural product prices have increased worldwide, productivity is decreasing, and pests and diseases are also on the rise. We are seeing a decline in food quality. Thus, we are truly facing the very real, almost destructive effects of climate change in agriculture and food systems," he stated.
He posed the question, "Who stands at the forefront of all these impacts?" and answered, "Of course, farmers, herders, fishermen, and producers.” He added, “Producers are mainly at the center of the agricultural landscape. These people are exposed to more impacts."
Zahedi further stated that it is crucial to transform agri-food systems, make them more sustainable and efficient. "The agricultural sector is one of the sectors that brings numerous benefits," he concluded.