“Food COP”; agriculture and food systems finally have a platform at COP27

*Olivia questioning a panel on the scalability of cultured meat at the Food Systems Pavilion*

By Olivia Grieco

Nestled between rugged mountains surrounded by sprawling desert and the Red Sea, the Egyptian city of Sharm El Sheikh hosted over 45,000 people from across the globe for COP27. In its 27th year, the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has finally acknowledged the role agriculture and food systems play in contributing to climate change but also leveraging them as tools for mitigating and adapting to climate change.

As a first time COP attendee, with varied expectations on how COP functions, I traveled to COP27, representing Tufts, eager to engage myself and learn from a global contingent. The Tufts delegation had an incredible range of interests and areas of expertise which contributed to valuable discussions and expanded Tufts reach across the conference.

*Olivia in front of the Sustainable Development Goals*

While COP27 was given many names such as, “Africa COP” and “Implementation COP,” the title of “Food COP” stood out to me. As a graduate student studying agriculture, food, and the environment having food systems represented at a greater scale than at the previous 26 COPs was momentous.
With our global food system contributing one third of greenhouse gas emissions, it is paramount that it is at the center of conversations, a focus of negotiations, and an innovative tool for solutions.

My focus at COP27 was understanding agriculture’s role as a climate offender and actor for change. This involved running back and forth between pavilions centered around food systems and ‘food for climate’, to attend panels, meetings, and a film screening on science-based evidence, innovations, and adaption strategies across the field. Food systems transformation, both terrestrial and aquatic, was the focus of numerous events as well as international negotiations, with many countries and organizations coming together to support the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture (KJWA). This joint work, established in 2017, aims to address issues related to agriculture and recognize its role in tackling climate change. At COP27, there were calls to make this a priority and permanent body in the UNFCCC. As a result, food, for the first time, was formally included in the COP27 decision, called the Sharm El Sheikh Implementation Plan, recognizing vulnerabilities in our food system and establishment of joint work with a focus on agriculture and food security.

*Agriculture and Food Systems thematic day poster*

COP27 also saw the creation of the Food and Agriculture for Sustainable Transformation (FAST) initiative, a partnership between the COP27 Presidency and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). This initiative focuses on increasing climate finance and policies for agri-food systems transformation. However, the voices of farmers were stifled in meetings and negotiations despite cries for justice and inclusion of this vulnerable group.

Cellular agriculture, or cultivated meat, also had a large place at the table during COP27. Promoted as one solution to reducing emissions in the food system, cultivated meat takes cells from animals and grows them in bioreactors to produce a meat product with reduced emissions, land use, and animal cruelty. Along with my graduate degree, I am completing a certificate of Cellular Agriculture at Tufts, so I was both surprised and thrilled to see the presence of individuals and companies across this field. During week two of COP27, I spoke with numerous company representatives and stakeholders across the cellular agriculture industry, focusing on the creation of cultivated products from bison to tuna. Cultivated meat was also on the table, with an exclusive dinner centered around taste testing cultured chicken dishes.

While these are all pivotal steps toward mending our food system and responding to the impacts of climate change, the damage that’s been done by neglecting the food systems role until now is heavy and greater action is necessary to successfully mitigate and adapt to current and future challenges. As the international community has left COP27 and dispersed back into their bubbles, I hope we all reflect on and share the discussions, lessons, and urgency garnered from this conference with others and work toward proactive implementation. Looking forward, my hope is for the world to have a greater understanding of the impact climate change has on agriculture and the role the food systems can play in healing our communities, food traditions, and Earth from the dire effects of climate change. ∎

Olivia Grieco is an AFE student (N23) at The Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.