Food & Agriculture Pavilion @ UNCCD COP16

2–13 December 2024, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia UN | UNCCD COP16

As the global platform for land issues, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the leading forum where governments, businesses, and civil society address today's challenges and plan for a sustainable future for land.

Below are some extract of the (CGAIR) Food & Agriculture Pavilion and the IFPRI events.

Food & Agriculture Pavilion

09/12 Harnessing science and public-private partnerships to advance agri-tech innovations for drought resilience and sustainable land use in the Middle East and North Africa

This side event explored how science and public-private partnerships can help tackle drought, desertification, and food insecurity in the MENA region. By encouraging multi-stakeholder engagement, it seeks to develop actionable strategies to advance agricultural technology adoption. Industry experts covered topics such as scientific research, partnerships, funding mechanisms, and policy recommendations to enhance resilience and promote sustainable land use. Core discussions focused on agri-tech case studies, effective collaboration models, and ways to integrate technology into traditional farming practices.

Speakers 

• Ramy Boujawdeh - Berytech
• Sandrine Jauffret - Senior natural resources management specialist, The World Bank
• 
  Malak Chabar (see picture) -  Communication for climate advocacy and youth inclusion | Youth4Climate, UNDP Rome Centre
  She referred to Timbuctoo – UNDP’s bold, pan-African innovative and far-reaching initiative to spark a start-up revolution in Africa.
  This programme was initiated by UNDP Africa in 2021. Its primary aim is to get a lot of private and public sector partners to help set up eight Timbuktoo Hubs in places that are known to have strong startup ecosystems, such as Accra, Nairobi, Cape Town, Lagos, Dakar, Kigali, Casablanca, and Cairo. 
• Theophilus Dela CEO Ento Organics Ghana
  Also known as E-Organics, is dedicated to empowering small-scale farmers in drought-prone areas through innovative precision agriculture and regenerative practices. Its mission is to enhance agricultural productivity, sustainability, and resilience, particularly focusing on women farmers who constitute a significant portion of the agricultural labor force in rural Ghana.
• Angela Bonato - BeadRoots, BeadRoots is  one of 7 startups in the FoodSeed program. FoodSeed is a joint initiative of promoters and investors CDP Venture Capital, through the Accelerator Fund, Fondazione Cariverona and UniCredit. The project also involves Eatable Adventures, one of the largest accelerators specialized in the sector worldwide, as co-investor and operational manager of the program. 
• Abd El Hamid Sherief - Agrican.
• Martino Melli, Head of Cairo Office/Carmelo Armetta, Team Leader for Rural Development and Environment, Italian Agency for Cooperation and Development AICS Cairo 
• Moderator: Claudia Zaccari, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT

IFPRI @ UNCCD

12/12 Gene Banks and Legal Frameworks: Building Resilience in Agricultural Systems

Co-organized by the Seed Center & Plant Genetic Resources Bank of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Panelist: David Spielman, Director, Innovation Policy and Scaling (IPS), IFPRI

YPARD at the UNCCD COP16

December 2 to 13, 2024. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

YPARD's is actively participating in the 16th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), held in 

The involvement of YPARD underscores its commitment to sustainable land management and youth empowerment in agricultural development.

Download the policy position of the YPARD Policy Working Group.

Key Events and Contributions:

1. Investing in Sustainable Agrifood Systems Transformation

The GEF Food Systems Integrated Program (FSIP) Launch
· Date & Time: December 5, 17:30–19:00
· Collaborators: FAO, IFAD, GEF

2. Transforming Agri-Food Systems for Resilient Ecosystems, Food Security, and Nutrition through Regenerative Agriculture

· Date & Time: December 5, 12:30–14:00
· Collaborators: YPARD

3. The Gateway to Land Restoration and Resilience: Pathways to Land Tenure for Women & Youth

· Date & Time: December 7, 09:00–10:30
· Collaborators: YPARD, CIFOR-ICRAF, CA4SH, UNCCD Youth Caucus, YOUNGO Food and Agriculture WG, WOCAT, Action on Food Hub, International Land Coalition

4. Empowering Marginalized Voices through Inclusive Land Restoration

· Date & Time: December 7, 14:00–15:00
· Collaborators: CGIAR, YPARD, Bioversity-CIAT

5. Collective Action for Our Land, Our Future: Empowering Marginalized Voices through Inclusive Land Restoration

· Date & Time: December 10, 13:00–14:30
· Collaborators: YPARD, CGIAR

6. A Tapestry of Policy: Can Civil Society Unite the Rio Conventions?

· Date & Time: December 10, 10:00–11:00
· Collaborators: Global Landscapes Forum, Youth in Landscapes Initiative, YPARD, Global Youth Biodiversity Network, International Forestry Students’ Association, Youth4Nature

CGIAR Week of Scaling

3 - 5 December 2024. CGIAR Week of Scaling

CGIAR’s Scaling Week 2024 is an event focused on advancing the conversation around scaling innovations in the agrifood sector. It aims to inspire a global network of scientists, practitioners, and funders, with a focus on South–South collaboration. Participants will engage in panel discussions, interactive thematic tracks, share knowledge, and celebrate progress to create lasting impact in global food systems. Throughout the event, our experience designers will create impactful activities with participants, to deepen human connections within our scaling community.

Collaborative discussion featuring scaling insights from the CGIAR Excellence in Agronomy Initiative, CGIAR Plant Health Initiative (PHI), and CGIAR Mixed Farming Systems (MFS) Initiative.
🔹 Scaling experiences from CGIAR initiatives driving sustainable agriculture.
🔹 Real-world examples of use cases, scaling hubs, innovation platforms, and public-private partnerships.
🔹 A unified Scaling Approach for the Sustainable Farming Science Program, grounded in practical lessons and success stories.

Learn More About Last Year’s Impact:

Scaling Week 2023 Report
Kalibata Talk with Agnes Kalibata
Inclusivity & Sustainability in Scaling

Casting the Vision of the Soil Initiative for Africa #SIA for National Actors Response

 As we celebrate #WorldSoilDay2024 today, join The Global Soil Partnership of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Webinar on "Casting the Vision of the Soil Initiative for Africa #SIA for National Actors Response"

#AFSH

Register via 🔗 https://bit.ly/3UZVfsE to participate via Zoom NOW

Read more on " Elevate Africa’s voice regarding soil health" HERE...

Reminder - Discussing and validatating Knowledge Briefs & Manuals

Kindly Join us today, 📅December 4, 2024, at 10am GMT,  for the #INTERFACES #KnowledgeCafe to discuss and validate Knowledge Briefs & Manuals produced by #KM4AgD Fellows from this year's #KM4AgD24 Challenge.

Register via 🔗 this LINK to participate virtually

 

Discussing and validatating Knowledge Briefs & Manuals

 Join us tomorrow, 📅December 4, 2024, for the #INTERFACES #KnowledgeCafe to discuss and validate Knowledge Briefs & Manuals produced by #KM4AgD Fellows from this year's #KM4AgD24 Challenge.

Register via 🔗 https://bit.ly/4fSz9jK to participate virtually

Women Land Defenders from Latin America, Asia, Africa, and EMENA

28 November 2024. During this meeting leaders from Latin America, Asia, Africa, and EMENA, broke down the successes and challenges of practical initiatives in their advocacy efforts to achieving women land rights in order to overcome obstacles in their territories. 

Recording available

Women Land Rights Defenders are crucial to protect land and territories, but doing so expose them to gender specific threats and challenges. There is a global need to engage with women defenders to support them, document their struggles and facilitate their voices to be heard in the public sphere.

• Moderated by Elisabetta Cangelosi, Gender Justice Advisor, International Land Coalition 
• Etienne Coyette, Policy Officer, INTPA F3
• Michel Forst, UN Special Rapporteur Environmental defenders
• Marusia Lopez,IM-Defensoras- Mesoamerican Initiative of Women Human Rights Defenders
• Kimberly Alvarez, AR Now ! NLC Philippines
• Leiria Vay, CODECA, Guatemala
• Hadija Sserwanga,UCOBAC, Uganda

PlantwisePlus: Sustainable solutions for a food-secure future

25 November 2024. InfoPoint conference: Empowering smallholder farmers to safeguard crops, livelihoods and biodiversity

Recording available

PlantwisePlus supports countries to predict, prevent, and prepare for plant health threats, helping farmers to produce safer, higher-quality food through sustainable crop production. PlantwisePlus addresses three critical challenges for smallholder production: preparing for pest and invasive species outbreaks, reducing pesticide risks, and improving access to farmer advisory services. With a target to reach 75 million smallholder farmers in 27 countries around the world, the role of PlantwisePlus in supporting agricultural resilience, food security, and environmental sustainability will be key focus areas of this InfoPoint. 

The session featured speakers from CABI, who offered an overview of the programme’s achievements and vision, as well as two programme partners from Zambia and Pakistan who are involved in on-the-ground implementation. These partners shared how PlantwisePlus supports their national strategies for sustainable agricultural development, demonstrating the vital role of partnerships in achieving lasting impact. 

• Leonard Mizzi – Head of Unit INTPA F3- Sustainable Agri-Food systems and Fisheries
• Dr Daniel Elger – CEO, CABI
• Dr Janny Vos – Partnerships Development Director, CABI
• Zombe Sikazwe - Senior Seeds Officer, Seed Control and Certification Institute (SCCI), Zambia
• Dr Imtiaz Hussain - Member Plant Sciences, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), Pakistan

The Global Food Security Summit (GFSS)

26-27 November 2024. Abu Dhabi. The Global Food Security Summit (GFSS) is one of the largest scientific gatherings in the MENA region. It explored innovative, sustainable, and profitable approaches, including the use of Artificial Intelligence in agriculture.

Held under the theme “Together, for Humanity,” GFSS is part of the 3rd Global Food Week (GFW) and promotes global collaboration and innovation to create sustainable solutions for food security. The Summit brought together high-ranking officials, experts and scientists from around the world, and representatives from more than 70 countries, including 21 ministers.

Africa, where one in five people is affected by hunger, remains particularly vulnerable and requires intensified efforts to combat food insecurity. The inaugural Global Food Security Summit in Abu Dhabi provides a platform for the international community to discuss these challenges and identify opportunities to enhance food security. Kayan Akram Jaff, Head of Mission of the FAO Subregional Office for GCC states and Yemen

The Global Food Security Summit in Abu Dhabi is an important platform for all Member States to coordinate their efforts to develop plans and pathways for sustainable food production that will benefit not only Africa, but the entire world. Berik Aryn, Director General of the Islamic Organization for Food Security

Adj. Prof. Dr. Hildegard Lingnau, Executive Secretary of GFAR, emphasized the vital role of global cooperation in addressing agricultural challenges at the Global Food Security Summit. Her insights on fostering cross-sector collaboration, learning from diverse experiences, and drawing inspiration from innovative food producers underscore the importance of shared efforts in building sustainable and resilient food systems.

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The summit shed light on critical issues:

• 
  Global Hunger: Over 733 million people suffer from hunger worldwide, posing a threat to peace, stability, and human dignity.
• Islamic World’s Progress: The Islamic Organisation for Food Security highlighted governance, sustainability, and resource mobilisation initiatives across its 41 member countries, emphasising the significance of a dedicated Food Security Day for the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
• Focus on Africa: The summit discussed sustainable agri-food systems and highlighted progress in West Africa, where 73 percent of farming households improved their resilience to climate shocks.
  
  

Key Themes and Recommendations: 

• Sustainability as a Cornerstone: Participants emphasised sustainability as essential for achieving food security, advocating for efficient resource use, renewable energy in agriculture, and fostering value-added food production.
• Women's Empowerment: The importance of enhancing women's roles in agriculture was highlighted, recognising their contributions to economic growth and sustainability.
• Clean Energy Transition: Despite the challenges posed by greenhouse gas emissions, the summit called for adopting clean energy solutions, proposing a six-pillar framework encompassing inclusivity, incentives, data, investments, institutions, and innovation.
• Innovative Solutions for a Growing Population: The summit stressed the need to invest in advanced agricultural technologies and sustainable practices to ensure reliable food supplies and a better future for coming generations. It called for enhanced cooperation along food value chains to address global crises effectively.
• Global Call to Action: The summit urged immediate and unified international efforts to create a resilient, equitable global food system, ensuring access to healthy and sustainable food for all.
• Spotlight on the UAE: The UAE National Food Security Strategy 2051 was praised for its alignment with global goals, supported by initiatives like the "Nema" platform, which combats food waste and promotes sustainable consumption practices. The summit also acknowledged the UAE’s leadership role at COP28, where the nation advanced its vision of eliminating food waste and transforming traditional food systems.

26/11 Panel Discussion: UAE’s High-Impact Projects for a Resilient Food System

• Fatima Al Dhaheri, Head of the AGWA Cluster - Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO)
• Seifallah Rabie, Partner and UAE Managing Partner - LOGIC Consulting
• Suresh Vaidyanathan, CEO Special Projects - Ghassan Aboud Group & CEO -Abu Dhabi Food Hub
• Hassan Halawy, General Manager - Elite Agro Projects
• Mohamed Al Breiki, Executive Director, Sustainable Development - Masdar City
  
  

The Abu Dhabi International Food Exhibition 

In addition to the Global Food Security Summit, Global Food Week features various internationalevents and exhibitions highlighting the latest innovations and technologies. The Abu Dhabi International Food Exhibition (ADIFE) marked a 49 per cent growth in its 3rd edition compared to the previous year, attracting over 660 exhibitors and 1,900 companies and brands from 70 countries. The event also hosted around 270 key hosted buyers from local and international markets. The event also included the launch of the Abu Dhabi Coffee Hub, a signature feature of Global Food Week. The platform brings together specialists, traders, and coffee enthusiasts from around the world, reflecting the growing global interest in food security and sustainability.