Between Monday, November 11, 2024 to November 22, 2024, the BKMC advanced conversation on agricultural adaptation at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan,  and called for equitable climate financing.

Baku, Azerbaijan – At COP29, billed the “Finance COP,” the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens (BKMC) took on a significant role in advancing the conversations on elevating agricultural adaptation and urging world leaders to commit to increasing climate financing.

Already before the start of the conference an opinion piece in the Guardian from the 8th United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Co-chair of the BKMC called upon countries to double down on adaptation financing by focusing efforts on matching the needs of countries and rebalancing allocations between finance for mitigation and adaptation.

The BKMC contributed to COP29 conversations by amplifying the voices of its Youth AgriChampions and uniting key stakeholders from policy, science, farming, and philanthropy at its COP29 side events, urging world leaders to address just transition, finance, and inclusive policies for smallholder farmers.

Youth & Innovation at the Forefront of Discussions

On November 14, 2024, BKMC, PACJA, TreeAid, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT-CGIAR, co-organized the event: “Overcoming barriers in access to funds at the frontline of climate crisis to accelerate climate financing for adaptation in Agriculture and Nature in Africa”. This event focused on challenges faced by frontline communities in accessing funds for climate adaptation, with a focus on advancing equitable climate financing solutions for Africa.

“We call on climate finance institutions to simplify and streamline application and compliance and reporting processes… We ask for more accessible and increased grant financing (…) and not loans to prevent worsening the debt crisis in vulnerable regions.” – BKMC Youth AgriChampion Mirirai Tembo, summarizing a major ask of the BKMC demand paper 2024.

The following day, November 15, the BKMC and its Youth AgriChampions were pleased to be part of the Agri-Food Systems Summit organized by Climate Action. BKMC Chief Operating Officer Katre Olmez shared compelling insights on the role of innovation in climate action during the Agri-Food Systems Summit Panel: “Pioneering Solutions for Climate Action.” She emphasized the need for greater innovation: “There is innovation in agri-food systems, but not at the scale and speed that we need to address the impacts of the climate crisis.” She highlighted BKMC’s efforts in amplifying the voices of young farmers to ensure that solutions are both relevant and impactful.

Advancing Agricultural Adaptation and Climate Finance

The BKMC kicked off the second week of COP29 with the event “Elevating Agricultural Adaptation: Mobilizing Climate Finance to Support Smallholder Farmers”, organized by the BKMC in cooperation with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Nizami Ganjavi International Center. This event welcomed H.E. Mary Robinson, 7th President of Ireland, Former UN High Commissioner of Human Rights, Member of The Elders, H.E. Tarja Halonen, 11th President of Finland, Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Vice President of the World Bank 1992-2000, Monika Froehler, CEO of the BKMC, Mercy Abutsa, BKMC 2024 Youth AgriChampion, Dr. Namukolo Covic, Regional Director, East and Southern Africa (ESA) at CGIAR, Dr. Ana Maria Loboguerrero, Director for Adaptive and Equitable Food Systems at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr. Jörg Linke, Head of Competence Center Climate Change at GIZ, Dr. Cristina Rumbaitis del Rio, Senior Advisor for Adaptation and Resilience at UN Foundation, and Ana Mulio Alvarez, Researcher at E3G. The focus of the discussion was to advance climate finance for agricultural adaptation. An “Impromptu Manifesto” was presented, in which the speakers pledged to advocate for agricultural adaptation and climate finance for smallholder farmers, with a commitment extending to COP30 and beyond.

Also on November 19, 2024, the FAST Partnership Ministerial Roundtable highlighted the importance of COP-to-COP collaboration to ensure that agriculture is properly addressed in international negotiations and that adequate climate finance contributions are made available to support the sustainable transformation of agrifood systems. Adding his voice to the discussions virtually, 8th United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Co-chair of the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens urged participants: “Supporting farmers is not only a step to end hunger; it is a powerful tool to reduce poverty and foster resilient communities around the world.”

On 20th November, BKMC CEO Monika Froehler spoke alongside representatives from CGIAR, CABI, FairTrade International, and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) who co-organised an official UNFCCC side event titled “Just Transition pathways to achieve Paris Agreement goals in the agri-food sector”. She called upon policymakers to prioritize equity and inclusivity in just transition of the agri-food sector by placing farmers at the heart of any transformation or transition.

At the same event, BKMC Youth AgriChampion Ifeoluwa Olatayo also reiterated the message from the 2024 Demand Paper to engage women and young farmers throughout policy design and implementation to ensure equitable progress and a just transition within the limited time frame dictated by science.”

Empowering Women & Youth in Climate Action

On November 21, 2024, the event “Gender, Youth, and Social Inclusion for Climate Action and Food, Land, and Water System Transformation” co-organized by the BKMC, CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform, Alliance of Biodiversity International – CIAT, ClimAdapt Nepal, Climate Forward Pakistan, IWMI Nepal, and IAAS World, showcased women and youth-led climate adaptation initiatives. The panel explored how women and marginalized groups can be empowered to lead climate action and justice in agriculture, research, and entrepreneurship.

 

For more information or to view the recordings, please visit:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQbxn3qZXZLoyzKSOk11qpe82IkDR4fka

To view the pictures from the different sessions, please visit:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/141786750@N06/albums/