Breakthrough Agenda Report 2023

Agriculture

Progress summary
Minimal progress
Modest progress
Good progress
New recommendation
Area What progress has been made? What more needs to be done? 2023

A1. Finance and investment

New analysis and roadmaps for climate finance expected at COP28.

Overall levels of finance for agrifood systems need to substantially increase, after falling over 2021.

Additional finance should focus on priority areas, such as agroecology, reduction of food loss and waste, reducing methane emissions and crop and livestock breeding.

A2. Knowledge and skills

The Policy Dialogue on Transition to Sustainable Agriculture continued to convene governments to share best practice on policy reform.

The Africa Agriculture Policy Leadership Dialogue brought together key stakeholders in 2023.

Accelerated sharing of best practice policies among countries who make up the majority of agrifood markets.

Provision of high-quality evidence and analysis to better inform discussions among countries.

A3. Standards and certification

Regional agreements across some agrifood metrics exist (e.g. in the European Union) but there is no consensus globally.

Development of internationally agreed standards for monitoring and reporting on the state of natural resources.

A4. Research and innovation

An increase in funding commitments for R&D delivered through the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM4C).

Working with key development partners, increase the level of R&D funding supporting projects in developing countries.

A5. Trade conditions

International agreements on standards and trade to provide investor and business confidence.

Improved information for consumers on traded products’ sustainability.

Agriculture recommendations
  1. Increased climate finance should be directed to supporting the deployment of agricultural technologies and approaches for which science has generated evidence on effectiveness, including agroecology, reducing food loss and wate, reducing livestock methane emissions, reducing emissions from fertilisers, and crop and livestock breeding. 
  2. Governments, research institutions, international organisations and the private sector should commit to a long-term process to test, develop evidence and share learning on policy and implementation. This should prioritise the redirecting of subsidies to support agriculture to move towards sustainability and climate resilience, and the facilitation of faster uptake of proven technologies in the sector.
  3. Governments, international organisations and research institutes should develop common metrics and indicators to track the adoption of key sustainable agriculture solutions and to monitor the state of natural resources on which agriculture depends. 
  4. Governments, research organisations and companies should work together to deliver higher levels of investment in agricultural research, development and demonstration, to be maintained over the course of this decade. Priority should be given to innovations that can reduce methane emissions from livestock, make alternative proteins a reliable and affordable option, increase the resilience of crops, and advance uptake of digital services by farmers.
  5. Governments should begin strategic dialogues on how to ensure international trade facilitates, and does not obstruct, the transition to sustainable agriculture. In addition to addressing the agricultural commodities that contribute disproportionately to deforestation, early priority should be given to agreeing standards, labels and regulations for alternative proteins, low-emission fertilisers, and products of agroecological and other sustainable approaches, and to developing intellectual property frameworks that promote access to resilient and low-emission crop and livestock varieties. This should be complemented with international sharing of best practice on mobilising private investment and engaging consumers.


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