It is widely anticipated that the next Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC (COP21) and associated negotiations in Paris in December 2015 will mark a key turning point for future global action to tackle climate change and deliver an agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions and set the world on a more sustainable development pathway.

 

While it is not possible to predict the outcome of negotiations, it is clear that the agriculture sector, comprising crops, livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture, will be a key focus area for future action under the UNFCCC framework to foster climate-resilient, low emissions development. Agriculture is a key element of the immediate future work program of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) that will guide future advice to the COP. Countries are also identifying agriculture and forestry as key targets for future actions to strengthen climate resilience under their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC). As INDCs are expected to transform into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) following the negotiations in December 2015, they will be an important roadmap for directing future investment and technical support. From a developing country perspective, the UNFCCC negotiation process and the INDCs also highlight where   the global financing mechanisms that underpin the UNFCCC - most notably the Green Climate Fund (GCF) – should focus investment.   

 

These developments represent an important opportunity for the countries of the Asia-Pacific region. The agriculture sector remains crucial to the livelihoods and food security region and is both increasingly vulnerable to changes in climate and a significant source of emissions. Efforts in advance of the Paris negotiations to identify how countries in the region can best leverage the evolving UNFCCC framework to drive climate-resilient, low emissions development in the agriculture sector could lead to real benefits for agricultural communities and the environment in the region.

 

It is with this in mind that the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is organizing a workshop on Making the UNFCCC work for Agriculture in Asia and the Pacific. The workshop will provide an opportunity for country representatives from Asia and the Pacific charged with engaging in UNFCCC processes, including the preparation of negotiating positions and INDCs, to share experiences and identify ways to work with national counterparts responsible for guiding UNFCCC financing mechanisms such as the GCF to implement future actions in the agriculture sector to mitigate emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.