In a bid to mobilise state and non-state actors to deliver lasting solutions for land degradation, desertification and drought, Saudi Arabia’s UNCCD COP16 Presidency has announced the launch of the Riyadh Action Agenda.
Dr. Osama Faqeeha, Deputy Minister for Environment, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, and Advisor to the UNCCD COP16 Presidency, officially launched the Riyadh Action Agenda during his speech for the high-level interactive dialogue on sustainable, resilient and inclusive agri-food systems. The Agenda will capitalise on the momentum created by COP16 in Riyadh, engaging with a range of key environmental stakeholders for the two-year duration of Saudi Arabia’s COP16 Presidency, to foster tangible action for everyone.
“If we are to accelerate land restoration and drought resilience initiatives at the pace and scale required, then it is critical we continue to mobilise and incentivise action long after COP16 ends”, said Dr. Osama Faqeeha, “reaffirming Saudi Arabia’s leadership in land restoration, and leaving a lasting legacy of global change.”
The launch of the Riyadh Action Agenda took place during the fourth day of COP16 in Riyadh, on Agri-food System Day, one of seven scheduled thematic days designed to focus discussions and ongoing negotiations. Agriculture is the primary driver of land degradation, with current agri-food systems contributing to deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss. According to the UNCCD, agriculture accounts for 23 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, 80 per cent of deforestation, and 70 per cent of freshwater use.
A range of events took place throughout the day to harness multilateral solutions to unsustainable agricultural practices. Discussions spanned an array of key meetings, with topics including ways to enhance healthy soils, resilient crops and nutritious food. Agri-food Systems Day also addressed the importance of private sector and farming participation in transforming food systems. The proceedings took place on World Soil Day, an annual global event advocating for sustainable soil management around the world.
“Around 95 per cent of our food comes from the soil, and yet we continue to treat it like dirt”, said Dr. Osama Faqeeha. “Unsustainable land management, farming practices and industrial-scale profiteering, are creating a simply unsustainable pace of land degradation, with every year 24 billion tonnes of fertile soil being lost. This is a leading cause of global food and water insecurity, impacting everyone from farmers toiling increasingly baren fields, to consumers paying more for essential goods.”
The UNCCD estimates that by 2050, crop yields could decline by 10 per cent globally and 50 per cent in the worst-hit regions. This scenario could cause an estimated 30 per cent increase in food prices. Meanwhile, growing populations are forecast to increase demand on land and agriculture.
“We do not need to reinvent the wheel to deliver urgent solutions to the crises gripping our land and soils. Reinvesting harmful agricultural subsidies could almost immediately provide financial relief for land restoration and reform unsustainable practices”, added Dr. Faqeeha.