Inspired, Yet Cautious - Reflections from COP26

By Amber Masoni

“What do you hope for the outcome of COP?" – Friendly Scottish citizen at the bus stop

"Are you optimistic or pessimistic?" – Inquisitive Canadian protest-studying professor on the train

"Was COP26 a success?" – Everyone, myself included

As a food regulatory wonk turned food systems graduate student, I was very interested in seeing the ways in which food systems and agriculture showed up at COP26. My decade of experience in academia, manufacturing, and the regulatory world has exposed me to the many challenges that are present to both farmers and handlers of food products. The food industry both impacts and is impacted by climate change.

The private sector (I’m looking at you, food industry) should be thinking about how their supply chains will be affected as temperatures increase, droughts persist, and heavy unprecedented rainfall destroys crops. We live in a global supply chain, and as the last 1.5 years made evident to everyone (despite being evident to the most vulnerable communities for decades), our food system is not resilient. We must rethink our supply chains to make them more flexible, quick to change, and, where possible, localized.

While there were many ways in which food and agriculture showed up at the conference (and also many ways in which it did not, which could constitute a second blog post), two examples where I witnessed unique exchanges were through the launch of the Agriculture Innovation Mission (AIM) for Climate and through the food industry’s presence at the conference.

On November 2nd, the U.S. and U.A.E. officially launched AIM for Climate, a collaboration alongside many countries and non-government partners emphasizing climate smart agriculture and food system innovation. During the launch, I witnessed protestors express disappointment in the initiative and demand more support and funding for agroecological practices. I support the sentiment of the protestors. I also believe there is room for both support of sustainable farming and technical innovation, and that input from many stakeholders, including farmers, should be considered.

Speaking of stakeholders, the food industry had a presence at the conference. I witnessed a panel aptly titled “Food – The Forgotten Climate Driver: How can you help transform the food sector?” with Pat Brown (CEO and founder, Impossible Foods), Ashley Allen (CSO, Oatly), and Kevin Rabinovitch (Global Sustainability SVP, Mars). The mere presence of these stakeholders at the event is significant. There is often debate about whether industry should be at the table; in my humble opinion, I do believe including people (and corporations) in conversations can lead to progress. I’ve thought about this frequently in my career in food, in my time as a graduate student, and in my time at COP26. These stakeholders spoke to the desire for governments to agree on standards for a carbon market and properly regulate carbon offsets. By the end of the conference, negotiations surrounding Article 6 concluded with agreements on carbon markets and transparency (allowing for full implementation of the Paris Agreement). It will be interesting to see how the food industry digests these rules in the coming years.

Ultimately, I’m inspired, yet cautious. I think food and agriculture could have been talked about far more often, especially at higher level conversations. I question the framework in which we currently operate -- men from around the world sitting around a table, debating the contents of each article -- and what that will look like in the coming decades. Will this framework be enough, at this very precarious point in time? Or will we look back in 50 years when the Greta’s and Vanessa’s of the world are sitting at that same table (will that table even exist?) with regret and disappointment?

I also feel like I’m sitting at an interesting vantage point. I entered the professional workplace nearly a decade ago, and so I’ve had the opportunity to work with various generations of people – from boomers to Gen X to millennials (of which I am one). I’ve seen the barriers that exist within organizations and how slow business or government can be to change. It's fantastic to now see the next generation enter the workplace and enter this conversation - we have Gen Z protesting, demanding change, and demanding it now. Pressure to simply stop *insert environmentally damaging practice here*, instead of phase down. I question the naivety of this situation – whether it be mine or that of the generation below me. Either way, we must move, we must act. I think progress is progress, despite the scale. But perhaps that’s the optimist in me. The alternative may be no progress at all or continuation of business as usual, which is probably what I would fear the most.

I acknowledge the immense privilege I was afforded to be able to attend this conference. While there were representatives from indigenous communities and many countries around the world, I do not believe this opportunity to include all voices at the table was fulfilled. Access to this conference was a challenge -- from the cost of attending the conference in an expensive city to the barriers to jump through to travel during COVID-19. We can and must do better to include all voices at the table, specifically those who are living the realities of a changed climate.

So, was COP26 a success? I suppose only time will tell. Words were spoken. Commitments were made. Now is the time for action, and for holding governments and businesses to account.

I am incredibly grateful to Tufts for the opportunity to attend and represent the university as a delegate. I feel affirmed in my path at the intersection of agriculture, food systems, and climate change; one certain to be filled with obstacles and disappointments, but also one filled with collaboration, progress, and transformation.∎

Amber Masoni is a masters student in the Agriculture, Food, and Environment program at Tufts University - Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.

Read more about the Tufts COP26 delegation’s experiences here.