Ahead of the COP29 climate change summit, the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is urging world leaders to set an ambitious global finance goal for climate adaptation. One of the key topics for discussion at the summit in Azerbaijan will be the New Global Quantified Goal (NCQG), with a focus on supporting small-scale farmers in adapting to climate change.
Although African countries have contributed little to global climate change, they are among the most severely impacted. African leaders have long advocated for increased funding for both mitigation and adaptation efforts to address the continent’s climate challenges.
In Africa, agriculture is largely dependent on rainfall, making it highly vulnerable to the extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change. Zimbabwe, for example, is currently facing its worst drought in over four decades. However, thanks to an IFAD-funded irrigation project, farmers have still been able to grow crops despite the drought.
“This year, we couldn’t harvest anything because the rains didn’t come as expected. The seasons have changed,” said Tinomuounga Hove, chairperson of the Biri Irrigation Scheme. “Having an irrigation scheme helps us a lot. Even without rains this year, we were still able to grow crops.”
IFAD is also supporting similar climate adaptation projects around the world to help smallholder farmers increase their food production in the face of climate challenges.
The COP29 climate summit will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11-22, bringing together climate negotiators, activists, and leaders from around the globe. “This is essentially a negotiation on how much wealthier countries should contribute to help developing nations cope with climate change,” said IFAD President Alvaro Lario.
Lario emphasized the importance of a climate finance plan that includes a specific goal for adaptation, with a focus on the needs of small-scale farmers. “Small farms are the backbone of global food systems, but they are also the most vulnerable to climate change,” he said. “Investing in them is crucial if we are to ensure global food security.”