Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate Established 

By: Sydney Sheffield 

During the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), the United States and United Arab Emirates (UAE), along with 31 other countries and 48 non-government partners, announced the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate). While speaking at COP26, President Joe Biden declared the United States intended to invest $1 billion in climate0smart agriculture and food systems innovation over the next five years. 

“The United States is proud to be launching the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate initiative alongside the United Arab Emirates and over 80 partners across the globe," said John Kerry, US special presidential envoy for the climate. "Investment in climate-smart agriculture innovation is critical to addressing the climate crisis. Innovation can reduce emissions, feed the world’s growing population, and help farmers and ranchers mitigate and adapt to climate change. AIM for Climate has an impressive start, garnering $4bn in increased investment in climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation thus far.”

AIM for Climate was first announced at President Biden’s Leaders’ Summit on Climate in April 2021. The goal is for more rapid and transformative climate action in the agricultural sector by allowing greater public-private and cross-sectional partnerships. Participation in the AIM for Climate program is voluntary. The program will allow agriculture to have a substantial role in the climate solution and for leaders in the agriculture industry to have a seat at the table to inform science-based, data-driven decisions and policies. There will be a focus on investments in agricultural research through the government and academic research institutes, public and private applied research, and the development, demonstration, and deployment of innovative products and services. 

AIM for Climate has three main priorities:

• Demonstrate collective commitment to significantly increase investment in agricultural innovation for climate-smart agriculture and food systems over five years (2021-2025).

• Support frameworks and structures to enable technical discussions and the promotion of expertise, knowledge, and priorities across international and national levels of innovation to amplify the impact of participants’ investments.

• Establish appropriate structures for exchanges between Ministers, chief scientists, and other stakeholders as key focal points and champions for cooperation on climate-related agricultural innovation, to engender greater co-creation and cooperation on shared research priorities.

“AIM for Climate is the kind of bold move towards accelerating the global food systems transformation that we need, to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 and eradicate world hunger by 2030," said Mariam Al Mheiri, the UAE's Minister of Climate Change and Environment, and Minister of State for Food Security. "The initiative will go a long way in mobilizing a global movement to strengthen food security, transform our food systems into more sustainable ones and mitigate climate change.”

Check out more information about AIM for Climate here.