The Agriculture Mission for Climate (AIM), a joint initiative led by the United States and the United Arab Emirates to transform global agriculture, now has the support of 30 nations – more than three times as many as when it was announced at President Biden’s Leaders Summit on Climate in April (2021).
The initiative, whose goal is to increase public and private investment for innovation in climate-smart agriculture and food systems, is also supported by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the UK’s COP26 Presidency and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
New countries that have joined AIM’s global efforts are: Bahamas, Bangladesh, Finland, Georgia, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, Lithuania, Morocco, New Zealand, Romania and Sweden.
AIM for Climate will focus on three main investment channels: scientific breakthroughs via basic agricultural research; public and private applied innovation and research for development; and the development and deployment of practical, actionable research and information.
“The climate crisis threatens to disrupt food systems around the globe, exacerbate food insecurity and negatively impact farmers’ livelihoods. We must invest in innovative, science-based solutions to help agriculture mitigate and adapt to climate change – and that’s what AIM for Climate is all about,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said.
“We welcome our newest AIM for Climate supporters and urge additional nations and organizations to join us in this global effort to accelerate agricultural innovation through increased investment in research and development.”
FAO Director General Qu Dongyu added, “The future of agri-food systems needs to be built on science and innovation, to address the complex challenges facing humanity, especially due to the impacts of the climate crisis. AIM for Climate is an important initiative to help increase investments in innovative solutions that can accelerate global agri-food systems transformation. As the lead UN agency specialized in agri-food systems, FAO helps to harness the latest developments in the rapidly changing scenarios of science, technology and innovation, playing a key role in mapping out and disseminating new solutions.”