CA4SH Partners at COP29: Reflections and looking forward to the future of soil health in policy
Countless CA4SH partners attended the UNFCCC COP29 this month, so we reached out to ask how it went!
Despite this being an incredibly busy time of year, we received several responses from partners who highlighted the highs, the lows, and what still needs to be done to embed soil health more deeply in agenda set forth at the Rio Conventions.
Here are their reflections, in their own words:
Robynne Anderson, President, Emerging Ag Inc.
At COP29, I had the opportunity to join, speak at, and moderate diverse events related to food systems. It wasn't anywhere near possible to be at all 250+ events, but that figure shows the tremendous attention being paid to agriculture. It was heartening to see many of those events feature discussions on soil health, landscape management, and land restoration.
Across the two weeks of the COP, the CA4SH team was tireless and excellent! There were so many times when soil scientists and farmers took the floor to talk about the importance of soil carbon sequestration and soil health.
As we turn toward COP30, we know that soils and land have a growing part in the agenda. This provides the opportunity to increase the pressure to recognize soils more formally in the COP and in the new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0s). The host Brazil is already showing leadership and has updated its NDC which has funding programs to help farmers restore degraded land. Combine that with the upcoming UNCCD COP 16 this December where land degradation and rangelands will be front and centre for new resources and action and you have a pretty good year for soils.
Momentum is building so let's keep the coalition growing, talking, and demanding and driving action.
Olutayo O. Akingbe, Climate Advisor, Office of the Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service, United States Department of Agriculture
For me, it was exciting to see climate-smart agriculture and nature-based solutions feature prominently in this year's COP, particularly on Food and Ag Day. Besides the Advancing Soil Health Event I participated in, I wasn't aware of any discussions where soil health was the sole focus, but soil health was certainly included in other discussions as part of a larger toolkit for climate action in agriculture.
I would say some of the common calls to action observed were for countries to develop more ambitious NDCs to reduce carbon emissions and keep 1.5 alive. I was also aware of discussions around climate finance, greater cooperation, and scaling up actions. Though this COP seemed smaller than previous COPs, it was no less vibrant compared to others I've been to. I also think the smaller footprint led to more opportunities for intentional discussions and collaborations.
I can't wait for COP30. Particularly with Brazil, an agricultural powerhouse, as host, I know climate actions in agriculture will feature prominently in discussions and perhaps lead to substantive initiatives. I think continued discussions, knowledge sharing, and ambitious targets are needed to make COP30 the best one yet!
John Mundy, Director of Global Partnerships, Climate Finance and Technology, One Acre Fund
How prominently did you see soil health featured in the discussions at COP?
Beyond the great work of CA4SH, not enough.
What were some common calls to action?
The climate finance gap to support smallholder farmers and soil health is getting bigger- we're calling on the world to close the gap. But it's not just us - check this out from CPI who released this report yesterday to show how the world is falling short of financing agri-food systems. Note: this was the climate finance cop, hence why so much emphasis on finance.
What differences did you find this year compared with previous COPs?
I think we're seeing strong momentum on getting a common ground of issues and potential solutions in the agric-food space and every year since Egypt there's been a growing recognition of the role of agriculture in the climate talks and in side sessions. However! Still a long way to go - especially in terms of real money on the table for smallholder farmers to adapt to climate change. This includes the necessary funding to truly boost soil health.
What do you think needs to be done before COP30?
We: as a sector need to detail the real pathways to scaling soil health and adaptation solutions for smallholder farmers. How much it costs AND where will the revenue come from. Time to get down to brass tacks!
The World: needs to acknowledge the key role of smallholder farmers in their NDCs (and of course the importance of soil health). In addition, we need to get real about the amount of public subsidies likely required to support.
Read more reflections from COP29 from John Mundy’s post on LinkedIn
Dr Leigh Ann Winowiecki, Soil and Land Health Global Research Lead, CIFOR-ICRAF and Co-Lead of CA4SH
Soil health is on the agenda.
Four years ago, there were NO pavilions or side events focused solely on soil health as a climate solution. Through CA4SH’s engagement in COP27 co-hosting the Food Systems Pavilion and leading Boosting Soil Health Day toward launching the Soil Health Resolution, we saw soil health on the agenda in the UAE Declaration coming out of COP28. CA4SH partners also hosted World Soil Day at COP28, and this year, CA4SH partners went above and beyond hosting numerous side events on soil health at the Save Soil Pavilion, the Moroccan, the Azerbaijani, the Brazilian, the US, the Canadian, the UK Pavilions and more. These diverse pavilions all had side events and sessions on soil health and the critical role of healthy soil in achieving climate negotiations.
COP29 is an earmark because all the countries are updating their NDCs. This update of the NDCs is an opportunity for countries to include soil health as part of reaching their commitments to reduce GHG emissions through carbon sequestration, for example. Brazil was the first country to launch their NDC, with ambitious targets. Brazil has also already committed to making sure soil health is on the agenda at the COP30.
Now is the time for us to mobilize and make sure we have concrete actions and strategic engagements to achieve our goals around increasing finance and financial investments to incentivise farmers, pastoralists, and governments to invest in soil health, scaling healthy soil practices across millions of hectares of land. In parallel, we need to invest in filling key knowledge gaps so that we understand how land management impacts soil health, leading to better prioritised and targeted interventions, and finally, increasing soil health action into policy. That means climate policy, ecosystem restoration policy, and agricultural policies so that we are no longer siloing soil, but seeing it as a unifier.
Dr Sieglinde Snapp, Director, Sustainable Agrifood Systems, CIMMYT
Soil health and agrobiodiversity are growing in prominence in climate action conversations. CIMMYT as a CG international research center is dedicated to working closely with public private and civil society partners to address scaling soil health options such as balanced use of organic and inorganic nutrients to sequester carbon, conserve water and nutrients for adaption, and extension innovations that put farmers in the driving seat.
Regenerative agriculture is key to realizing soil health. This approach requires nature’s solutions as highlighted at a panel hosted by Kew Gardens, and at a conversation hosted by CIMMYT on VACS, the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils. Inclusive agrodiversity that promotes options that meet women’s needs was an important topic, as regerative ag must be 'deep' or in other words Gender and Socially inclusive.
Nitrogen was on many agendas, which is overdue. The launch of a nitrous oxide hub we hope will raise awareness of this potent greenhouse gas. Green ammonia and improving fertilizer efficiency were singled out as important research investments by the Climate Impact Platform’s Breakthrough Agenda report. CIMMYTs MasAgro long-term trials in Mexico and other countries have quantified GHG emissions and shown that nitrous oxide excess is related exponentially to very high yield environments, highlighting the need to reduce fertilizer specifically at the highest yield levels and to target low and moderate yield areas with integrated approaches and advisory services.
Together we can support farmer-led innovations and listen well to our partners to guide our actions as we prepare for COP30.
Collins Lungu, National Coordinator, Zambia Youth Environmental Network
I am Collins Lungu, National Coordinator of the Zambia Youth Environmental Network. This is a movement of young Christian Leaders working for environmental justice. I attended COP29 under the Christian Climate Observer Program and was endorsed by Climate YES (Youth Ecumenical Summit on Climate Justice), Bread for the World and Tearfund.
The Pavilion area had so much hope and action. Different pavilions were showcasing the wonderful things they are doing in their communities, regions and globally. Multiple CSOs also had pavilions, the action by these groups made my experience immense as I took part in actions that enhanced my contribution to the COP29. I took part in a panel discussion on Soil Health and I attended sessions at the Save Soil pavilion. There were several sessions including soil health and the protection of our soils for adaptation and resilience.
Coming from a country like Zambia which largely depends on agriculture and soils needing protection from chemicals that are increasing. We faced the worst drought in the previous farming season and many crops failed. Talks on climate finance were of deep interest to me for the adaptation and non-economic effects of climate change that we are currently going through. Seeing the action gave me hope, but seeing the negotiations and listening to the debates, fear was my feeling for change in my community. I feared not having enough words of courage for my people. But, I continue on leveraging on the loss and damage, ACE and article 6 on carbon markets. I know that even plenty is not enough for my people.
There is a need to do more advocacy and lobbying in earlier processes like the SBIs which most of the negotiations were pushed to. As the drafts are being written, our collective voices will champion that urgent change we need and our voices will be stronger than the fossil fuels lobbyists who came it to these talks. As we aim for more ambitious outcomes for COP30, we need to send more voices to other critical processes of the UN, including the COPs on Biodiversity, Desertification and Energy Transition.
Mateusz Ciasnocha, CEO, European Carbon Farmers, Ciasnocha Family Farms
COP29 - from my perspective - was a great success.
Together with my colleague, Maria Virginia Solis Wahnish, we have been very strategic about attending events choosing a mix of formal Presidency-led events, especially on the Food, Agriculture and Water Day on Tuesday, 19th November 2024, joining the Farmers' Constituency meetings, as well as programming in the pavilions, namely the One Action on Food and the Faith Pavilions.
However, the key event for us - as with each COP we have attended up to date - was to "Visit a Farmer", which we did on Thursday, 21st November 2024. This was possible thanks to the spectacular support of Mrs. Gulbaniz Ganbarova and the Team of Azerbaijan Women Farmer Association. Please see our reporting on LinkedIn here and Facebook here.
It is important to remember that even if you did not attend COP29 there are very specific calls to action you are invited to join. The key one is to visit a farmer. The second one is the Call to Action on Food Systems by the High-Level Champions on Climate Action. You can also support us by getting involved in the second YSI Workshop building on the first YSI COP Workshop we organized before the COP29 to bring the voices of those - not yet strongly - engaged with the UNFCCC process, engaged, including through the YSI Message to the COP29.
Glindys Virginia Luciano, International and Strategic Relations, Project Manager, European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) Food
I spent most of my time at the Action On Food Hub as I was managing the pavilion. But, I did have the opportunity to sit in a few of the events especially those focused on finance and biodiversity.
Being able to curate a space where there was deep dialogue on the need for more collaboration, and listening to farmers express how they felt that within the Action On Food Hub, they felt heard—it made me really appreciate the role that pavilions have in supporting civil society in working closer together. Coalition building takes a lot of effort and willingness, and having a united front is important as we support the negotiation process. While the overall outcomes of COP29 felt disastrous due to so many geopolitical factors, with mobilised stakeholders there is so much that can be achieved on the ground in cooperation with national and subnational governments.
The conversation around soil did come up especially when voluntary carbon markets when brought into discussion, as well as when regenerative agriculture practices were mentioned. There is definitely room for improvement in discussing soil in the context of systems thinking and directly tying soil degradation to extractive practices due to extractive systems.
Common calls to action included scaling the quantity and the quality of finance to ensure it reaches the most vulnerable communities, supporting small-scale farmers and Indigenous peoples, and calls for developed nations to provide the needed support in finance for LDCs and SIDs to transition to a greener economy and become more resilient
Essentially many big funders and the private sector decided to sit this COP out, in my opinion, influencing many civil society organizations to not engage as intensely. There was a feeling of lack of commitment and that was felt in this COP, along with parties not feeling like there was as much at stake. Given how things took place this year, there is a general feeling of mistrust in the multilateral process. On the other hand, in the food systems community, there is a strong will to make sure that we continue to mobilise, to bring frontline communities as we did this year, but to scale and to continue with our asks as this COP did not deliver on those.
Dr Laura Cramer, Policy Engagement Specialist for Scaling CSA, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)
I attended COP29 representing the International Livestock Research Institute, the CGIAR Livestock and Climate initiative and the AICCRA project (Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa). While there, I participated in several side events highlighting the importance of animal health as part of climate action, the need for climate finance to help improve animal health and meet other smallholder farmer needs, and how to increase ambition in NDCs 3.0. I was also part of a side event on reducing emissions from livestock, where I was happy to be a panellist alongside Dr. Leigh Ann Winowiecki. While I emphasized the importance of addressing animal health through actions like better feeding, improved hygiene and vaccinations to reduce animal diseases and mortality, Leigh spoke about the potential of rangelands to sequester carbon which shows the diversity of ways in which action in the livestock sector can be part of our climate solutions.
Given the networks and discussion groups in which I’m involved, I heard a lot about food systems at this year’s climate COP but not as much about soil health. The focus of COP29 was also about the new finance goal which took up a great deal of attention. Going forward, there’s an opportunity for the soil health community to make submissions (due in March 2025) to the first workshop topic of the Sharm el Sheikh joint work on the implementation of climate action on agriculture and food security which will take place at SB62 in June. The topic is “Systemic and holistic approaches to implementation of climate action on agriculture, food systems and food security, understanding, cooperation and integration into plans” and showcasing how soil health is the foundation for agriculture, food systems and food security will be essential. The report of that workshop will be considered in COP30, so ensuring that soil health features prominently will raise the profile of the topic in Belem.
