Ministers, secretaries and senior officials from 32 countries in the Americas met this week to discuss the strategic role of the agricultural sector in the region in tackling climate change. Organized by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the meeting was a way for nations to be aligned until COP27, which takes place in November in Egypt.

According to IICA, the group has reached a consensus that "climate actions for more sustainable agriculture must be based on science, so that they safeguard and increase productivity, and do not deepen the already worrying current food crisis."

Agriculture ministers pledged to work to increase access to climate finance funds for all countries in the region, including those most vulnerable.

"The investments necessary for the transformation of agriculture cannot be made by producers and producers, and it is essential that developed countries fulfill their commitments to provide international financing," according to a statement from the Institute.

According to Rattan Lal, world authority on soil sciences and the 2020 World Food Prize, there was an omission of the importance of agriculture at the last Climate Conference, which cannot occur again at COP27.

"Food production is at risk in South America and in developing countries in other parts of the world, because the growing season is shortened as water stress increases," he added.

Source: Um só Planeta