Kaveh Zahedi, director of the Office of climate change, biodiversity and Environment at the Food and Agriculture Organisation, highlighted that the cost-of-living crisis contributed to the fact 700 million people globally now face food insecurity.
Zahedi affirmed that the situation was being made worse by climate change and, when combined, these issues were “undermining hard-won development gains”.
“I don’t think you can separate the food crisis from the climate crisis or food security from climate solutions,” said Zahedi told the National. “They are absolutely intertwined.”
The official underlined that food systems can be part of the solution and not only in cutting emissions but fostering resilience, ensuring access to food, and allowing farmers on the front lines of the crisis to adapt to a changing climate.
Last week, the UAE’s Cop28 presidency said agriculture and food production would take center stage at the climate summit in Dubai from November 30 to December 12.
Mariam Al Mheiri, Minister for Climate Change and Environment, said it was the “strongest push ever given to food systems and agriculture in the Cop process” and came on the same day that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said food systems were “broken”.
