Regional Seminar advances climate measures in agro-food sector

The regional climate seminar on "Strengthening Climate Measures in the Agro-Food Sector of European and Central Asian Countries" continues its work with panel sessions, Azernews reports.

The Ministry of Agriculture informed that in the panel session, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Ilhama Gadimova presented the work done in preparation for the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which will be held in November this year. She expressed confidence that the Baku Harmony Climate Initiative for Farmers, one of the 14 initiatives on the Action Agenda of COP29, will make an important contribution to global efforts to transform agro-food systems into a more sustainable model by bringing together stakeholders to build climate-resilient agricultural systems.

Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Vugar Karimov stated that the initiatives of the COP29 Action Agenda cover various aspects of climate change negotiations, including finance, trade, energy, peace, food, water, agriculture, science, technology, health, urbanization, and transport. He added that the decisions made at COP29 will be crucial in reducing the impacts of climate change.

Firudin Taghiyev, head of the Department of Land Use Control at the Ministry of Agriculture, discussed the effects of global climate change on agriculture and food security, as well as the efforts made to minimize these effects. He highlighted the preparation of a Strategy Plan by the Ministry based on international experiences, aimed at promoting the country’s policy on climate change adaptation and mitigation. He added that the document envisions the implementation of regular climate-proof projects in agriculture between the state and the private sector.

Noting that the agricultural sector is particularly sensitive to the effects of climate change, Anar Azimov, the deputy chairman of the Agrarian Services Agency, reminded participants that global productivity is likely to decrease by 2050 due to climate change. He emphasized the importance of taking immediate action to ensure food security.

Leyla Jabbarli, Deputy Chairman of the Agrarian Credit and Development Agency, spoke about the opportunities provided by the Harmony Climate Initiative. She referred to this initiative as a platform that fosters inclusive cooperation among different sectors and stakeholders. The agency official emphasized that the Harmony Climate Initiative offers significant advantages for interested parties, such as facilitating investment for the transformation of agricultural systems, providing real-time monitoring, and ensuring the comprehensive development of value chains up to global markets.

Martial Bernoux, Chief Natural Resources Specialist of FAO’s Office of Climate Change, Environment and Biodiversity, and Liva Kaugure, Natural Resources Specialist of the same office, emphasized the importance of cooperation within the framework of initiatives such as Harmony and "Sustainable Transformation for Food and Agriculture" (FAST) in their speeches. Foreign experts noted that Azerbaijan contributes to this cooperation as a member of the Management Board and co-chair of the FAST initiative.

Speaking at the event, FAO experts addressed topics such as the Sustainable Development Goals, "Digital Solutions for Climate-Resilient Agricultural Systems," "Agricultural Loss and Damage Assessment: European and Central Asian Experience," and FAO's climate change planning for increasing resilience, implementation, monitoring, and reporting activities.