Dec. 1 was agriculture day at the Paris climate change conference and after the glitz and glamor of the first day — attended by some 151 heads of state and government — it also marked the launch of formal negotiations on a climate deal.
Kanayo Nwanze, president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, got straight to the point: “There’s not enough finance to help small farmers adapt to climate change.” he said. “We will have to accept the consequences of that: More droughts, more floods, more deforestation.”
Talking to Devex on the sidelines of the COP21 negotiations at Le Bourget conference center, Nwanze did not attempt to conceal his disappointment at the situation small farmer agriculture finds itself in. It has not, he said, been given the emphasis it deserves in the climate change discourse and whether it is recognized and given prominence in the coming weeks remains to be seen.
About the author
Elena L. Pasquini@elenapasquini
Elena Pasquini covers the development work of the European Union as well as various U.N. food and agricultural agencies for Devex News. Based in Rome, she also reports on Italy's aid reforms and attends the European Development Days and other events across Europe. She has interviewed top international development officials, including European Commissioner for Development Andris Piebalgs. Elena has contributed to Italian and international magazines, newspapers and news portals since 1995.
