Guide to UNFCCC Negotiations on Agriculture An overview

Presentation Overview About the “Guide to UNFCCC Negotiations on Agriculture” toolkit – The role of the UNFCCC and SBSTA Why we need this toolkit How to use this toolkit – Key messages – Supporting key messages Factsheets, websites, infographics Case studies Third party corroboration Using this tool online

About this toolkit Farming First has launched the Guide to UNFCCC Negotiations on Agriculture to help educate and inform interested stakeholders on the unique relationship between climate change and agriculture The toolkit has been produced in partnership with CGIAR Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) and the Technical Centre for Agriculture and Rural Cooperation (CTA) The toolkit provides a resource for participants to engage in the UNFCCC processes and advocate the importance of agriculture within discussions The toolkit underlines the need for a Work Program on Agriculture under the UNFCCC Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA)

The role of the UNFCCC & SBSTA The Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) is one of two permanent subsidiary bodies to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) established by the Conference of the Parties (COP) and the Conference and Meeting of the Parties of the Kyoto protocol (CMP). SBSTA supports the work of the COP and the CMP through the provision of timely information and advice on scientific and technological matters. SBSTA can act as a hub for agriculture and can handle the unique aspects of agriculture in a way that cannot be handled elsewhere. SBSTA can also inform the various aspects of the UNFCCC so that agriculture is better incorporated into the various convention mechanisms. Agriculture was discussed at the SBSTA meeting in June 2013, with parties agreeing on a text to be adopted. This text calls for submissions and workshops on agriculture. For more details visit the Guide to UNFCCC Negotiations on Agriculture at which also provides links to external resourceswww.farmingfirst.org

Why we need this toolkit Agriculture will be crucial to finding solutions to the challenges of climate change Agriculture both impacts on and is severely affected by climate change – recent figures show that climate change is predicted to cause yields to decrease in South Asia and Africa by 15% by 2050 We need to find sustainable solutions to feeding a population of 9 billion people by 2050 Adaptation is critical to agriculture, whilst agriculture has potential contributions to make in terms of mitigation The relationship between agriculture and climate change has previously largely been ignored at global policy level and must be addressed…

…The time to act is NOW

How to use this toolkit The toolkit provides a guide on how to highlight the importance of agriculture at the UNFCCC discussions and includes: A one-stop source of information on the UNFCCC discussions Outlines six key messages that support discussions Brings together a series of multimedia resources including videos, infographics, quotes and key facts and figures to support messaging

How to use this toolkit Reach out to policy makers: combine some of our messages to make your case Impress an audience and strengthen your argument: use case studies, facts, figures and press quotes or third party endorsements to support your case Answer challenging questions: combine messages, reinforced with resources (quotes, videos, case studies, etc) to answer difficult questions from journalists or even your own farmers

Key messages We have developed six key messages for Farming First supporters, farmers’ organisations, agriculture development organizations and negotiators to help encourage clear, focused and impactful advocacy…

Key message 1 “Now is the time to act. Farmers are experiencing the impacts of climate change, and they need action from policy makers, NGOs, politicians and businesses if they are to adapt and to mitigate.”

Key message 2 “The unique role of agriculture in the global climate change response should be recognised, as agriculture constitutes a crucial sector in the economies of many countries and for the livelihoods of billions around the world. The framework for a new global agreement on the need for agricultural adaptation and mitigation is being discussed. Negotiators should acknowledge that getting more information about agriculture is crucial before discussing its inclusion in the new framework.”

Key message 3 “Farming First therefore call for recognition of the important role of agriculture in addressing climate change so that a new era of agricultural innovation and knowledge sharing can be achieved. Specifically, we ask that a work program for agriculture under the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) is approved, in order to advance scientific and technical understanding and to inform decision- making on agriculture’s role in addressing future food and nutrition security and climate change challenges.”

Key message 4 “Funding mechanisms, such as the Green Climate Fund, should support the needs of all levels and forms of farming. Smallholder farmers are particularly vulnerable to both immediate (extreme weather events) and gradual (temperature and precipitation changes) effects of climate change, and need to be at the heart of policies for adaptation and increasing ecosystem resilience.”

Key message 5 “Due to the growing demand for agricultural products and with predictions that climate change could reduce crop yields, the agriculture sector faces a unique challenge. Increasing agricultural productivity and production to ensure future food security should be at the centre of all agricultural policies. Adaptation measures are crucial for securing food production, and both adaptation and mitigation efforts must be built into comprehensive agricultural strategies that support enhanced productivity, food and nutrition security, whilst being environmentally sustainable. Policies need to be put in place that jointly address the objectives of food security, adaptation and mitigation in order to maximise benefits while recognizing that there may be trade-offs.”

Key message 6 “There are many existing solutions to some of the known challenges of climate change that can be scaled up; from communication technologies, to improved soil management practices, and the use of index-based weather insurance. Investing in knowledge sharing and capacity building to increase access to these solutions is crucial, while identifying core gaps in knowledge so that research can be focused in those areas.”

Supporting tools Use our collection of supporting tools to support these messages and your arguments: – Factsheets – Websites – Infographics – Case studies These provide evidence and help demonstrate a wide range of agricultural examples of the challenges that farmers are facing worldwide Our online interactive guide links resources to specific messages, making relevant materials easy to find

Third party corroboration Use quotes from farmers, media and prominent international figures to support your argument Our toolkit includes quotes from people including: – Farmers – Barak Obama – World Bank – Al Gore

To follow this step-by-step process on how to use the Guide to UNFCCC Negotiations on Agriculture and use our interactive toolkit, visit