It’s finally here — a long-awaited moment that many in the food systems community have been working hard for. COP 28, the U.N. climate summit, kicks off tomorrow in Dubai with food systems transformation high on the agenda.
The COP 28 presidency, the United Arab Emirates, has prioritized the link between food security and climate change for the first time since the annual climate COP began in 1995. While most of the talks will focus on increasing renewable energy and financing the costs of climate change, this year’s summit will also feature a dedicated Food, Agriculture and Water Day on Dec. 10, as well as a food pavilion with an impressive event and speaker list.
As the World Resources Institute’s Edward Davey, partnerships director of the Food and Land Use Coalition, put it last week, “This is the COP where food and land use fully comes of age.” And it’s about time: recent studies show that agrifood systems contribute about one-third of all global greenhouse gas emissions and account for at least 15% of fossil fuels burned annually.
About the author
Tania Karas@TaniaKaras
Tania Karas is a Senior Editor at Devex, where she edits coverage on global development and humanitarian aid in the Americas. Previously, she managed the digital team for The World, where she oversaw content production for the website, podcast, newsletter, and social media platforms. Tania also spent three years as a foreign correspondent in Greece, Turkey, and Lebanon, covering the Syrian refugee crisis and European politics. She started her career as a staff reporter for the New York Law Journal, covering immigration and access to justice.
