We haven’t heard much at all about this critical summit about to take place in Washington.  That’s surprising since the AIM for Climate Summit will see many of the largest nations in the west talking about the complete overhaul of the way our food is produced!

Below is an introduction, followed by the agenda for the AIM for Climate Summit which takes place next week in Washington.

As the marketing firm notes in the introduction, Canada supports the “AIM for Climate Summit”.  In fact Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau will be attending and speaking.

Whether you farm, or you enjoy eating, you’ll surely find a number of the agenda items incredibly interesting.

This international summit is led by the Agriculture Innovation Mission (AIM) for Climate, an initiative launched by President Biden and co-led by the US and the UAE.  If you take the time to read through this you’ll note that this group fully intends to change the course of agriculture practices around the globe.

Canada’s support would indicate our federal government will be joining several nations from around the world in committing to nitrogen levels, etc which will affect our farmers and their ability to produce food. During a session called “An Integrated Approach to Methane Reduction Smallholder Farms: From Policy to Financing”, “new announcements on methane reduction will be made”.

You’ll also see some stunning predictions such as “the next generation won’t have access to foods like chocolate, shell fish or pistachios due to climate change”.  Yikes!  Get ready for a world without chocolate if they’re right!

There are sessions that will ultimately affect Canada’s Dairy and Livestock farmers.  It seems AIM is planning for a future where our farmers produce less meat and milk.  In the session “Scaling action to achieve alternative protein’s climate potential”, governments will be urged to consider the climate battle ahead of the food we eat as indicated in the session description. “The food system plays an integral role in our ability to stay within 1.5 C degrees. As the global demand for meat continues to rise, protein diversification—in particular the scaling of alternative proteins—is a critical lever to reach our collective climate goals and sustainably feed a growing population.”  In other words, get ready to eat bugs!

Millions of Canadians have been watching the farmer protests in the Netherlands. Some have noticed famers there have started a powerful new political movement to confront these impending government initiatives.  The Dutch government is leading the way currently through restrictions on nitrogen use in fertilizer which will lead to the involuntary sale of farmland to the government, and the ultimate decrease in agriculture production.

The “AIM for Climate Summit” taking place next week in Washington shows us federal governments in the USA, Canada, and many other nations are preparing to legislate major changes to the way our farmers are producing our food.  This could mean the same type of ongoing farmer and consumer protests and potential political upheaval will be sparking up in various countries around the world.  After all, it’s our food they are talking about.

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Submitted by: www.sterlingglobal.global www.theworldwewant.global

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Canada Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau to attend global agri-innovation for climate Summit I 8-10 May, Washington, DC

Canada supports AIM for Climate Summit taking place 8-10 May, Washington D.C.  

Watch Plenary sessions via this link: https://aimforclimatesummit.onlineevent.com/ 

We represent the USA-UAE co-led, Agriculture Innovation Mission (AIM) for Climate initiative launched by President Biden. The initiative is supported by Canada and has accelerated investments of $8bn+ ($7bn from 40+ govt partners and $1bn from private sector, not for profit partners) in climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovations to address climate change, global hunger and food insecurity challenges.

The AIM for Climate Summit takes place on 8-10 May, Washington, D.C to spotlight new investments and innovations which will be announced at 9am, 8 May during the plenary session.

The Summit will be attended by over 150 sector leaders including Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, Ministry of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Canada. Other high-profile dignitaries include John Kerry, US Climate Envoy, Al Gore, former US Vice, Tom Vilsack, US Agriculture Secretary and HE Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, United Arab Emirates Minister of Climate Change and Environment.

 

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Session

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AIM for Climate Summit: 8-10 May, JW Marriott, Washington, D.C

Monday 8 May 2023

9:00 AM-10:30 AM

AIM for Climate Summit | Opening High-Level Plenary

Speakers:
Al Gore (Former US Vice President)
Mariam Almheiri, Minister, Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, UAE
Tom Vilsack, Secretary, Department of Agriculture, US

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11:00 AM-12:00 PM 11:00 AM-12:00 PM

Designing Seeds for Climate Smart Agriculture Systems 

$124 million increased investment to accelerate Inari targets of:
• 10% higher productivity wheat with no additional water or fertilizer
• 20% higher productivity soybeans with no additional water or fertilizer
• 10% higher productivity corn with 40% less water and 40% less nitrogen

Panel topics:
• Doing good is good business: net positive companies drive climate smart agriculture. Net positive company footprints (scope 1, 2 & 3) are far smaller than the positive benefits (scope 3 & 4) such as avoided agricultural value chain emissions.
• The convergence of advanced technologies including A.I., genomics and multiplex gene editing with CRISPR. Breeders and scientists can now address biological complexity through a gene level systems approach to
accelerate crop improvements that address global needs. Innovation in action: results in high productivity soybeans
• Advanced technologies are only as useful as their application design. Dynamic system modeling from MIT is a user friendly way tool for companies to design for whole system transformation to climate smart agriculture.
• Demonstration of Inari’s SEEDesign System Models that guide product selection and development. Organized by AIM for Climate partner: Inari

Speakers:
Emily Negrin,  VP of Corporate Affairs, Inari Agriculture
Max Krasilovsky, Associate Partner, ESG Strategy & Transformation, Deloitte Consulting
Anya Gandy, Sustainability and Corporate Strategy Manager, INARI
Laura Wood, President , Laura Wood Peter

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11:00 AM-12:00 PM

From Tech-to-Table: A Systemic Approach to Innovation for Climate-Smart food Systems

Innovation is crucial for developing sustainable and resilient food systems for the future. As the global population continues to grow, the demand for food is increasing and traditional approaches to food production and consumption are no longer viable.
This session hosted by the Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture & Food Quality and Clim-Eat will explore the urgent need for innovative and systemic changes in food systems. We need to embrace technological advancements, while also examining the broader system that underpins our food systems.
The session will highlight the latest technological innovation in food production and identify key areas where systemic innovation is required. We will discuss the need for effective partnerships – that includes strategic alliances and political leadership to help shift understanding, narratives and power dynamics, as well as the role of policy and regulation in creating more sustainable food systems.
Through case studies and expert insights, this session will provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of the role of technology and systemic innovation in building sustainable and resilient food systems. Participants will leave with actionable steps and strategies to apply these innovations in their own work and communities.

Organized by AIM for Climate partner: Netherlands

Speakers:
Dhanush Dinesh, Founder, Clim-Eat
Bruce Friedrich, President & Founder, Good Food Institute
Jean Marie Paugam, Deputy Director General, World Trade Organization
Jan-Kees Goet, Vice-Minister, Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, Netherlands
Sanah Baig, Deputy Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Mark Spencer, Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries, Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, United Kingdom
Saskia Visser, Resilient and Climate Neutral Region Manager, EIT Climate-KIC

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11:00 AM-12:00 PM

The Power of Soil: Uplifting Rural Communities

Despite having one of the lowest carbon footprints, smallholder farmers (SHFs) and indigenous farming communities across the world are disproportionately impacted by climate change. Though soils form one of the largest carbon sinks on the planet, the world’s cultivated soils have lost more than 50-70% of their carbon stocks. The breakout session will focus on how we can unlock soil’s potential as a powerful carbon sink through the action of farmers – enabling them to participate in carbon markets and build resilience to rising temperatures.

Carbon markets can be positioned to empower indigenous farming communities globally, overcoming limitations imposed by geography, market access, landholding sizes, and lack of access to finance & technology. This includes scoping out the challenge of soil carbon removal projects, and how modern tech and innovation like remote sensing and AI can combat this.

Boomitra’s solution has enabled regenerative land management across 5M acres and 10M+ tonnes of Carbon Dioxide removal (CDR) – enabling carbon finance of more than 956M USD flowing to diverse communities. The speakers will announce investments to scale carbon farming, building resiliency for farmers worldwide and bolstering food security.

Organized by AIM for Climate partner: Boomitra

Speakers:
Rosario Alvarez, Executive Director, Pro Natura Noreste
Suresh Babu, Senior Research Fellow / Head of Capacity Strengthening, IFPRI
Ertharin Cousin, CEO & Managing Director, Food Systems for the Future
Aadith Moorthy, Boomitra

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12:30 PM-2:00 PM Lunch High-Level Plenary

What’s the future of food?

Experts predict that the next generation won’t have access to foods like chocolate, shell fish or pistachios due to climate change. Join former White House Chef Sam Kass for lunch designed around some of these ingredients and a discussion about food sustainability.

Keeping 1.5 alive: The role of agri-business in driving credible climate action for COP28.

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) will host a CEO panel focused on the role of business leadership to drive collective climate action in helping transform agriculture and the acceleration of corporate carbon accounting systems to be embedded across the sector.

Speakers:
Sam Kass, Partner, Acre Venture Partners
Diane Holdorf, Executive Vice President, World Business Council for Sustainable Development
Juan Luciano, CEO, Archer-Daniels-Midland Company
Ramon Laguarta, CEO, PepsiCo
Julia Collins, CEO, Planet FWD
Sara Menker, CEO, GRO Intelligence

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2:30 PM-3:30 PMET 2:30 PM-3:30 PM

An Integrated Approach to Methane Reduction Smallholder Farms: From Policy to Financing

The trade-off between ag. development and climate change presents a unique challenge where the ag. sector needs to produce more food while reducing GHG’s caused by food production. The ag. forestry and land use sectors contribute 23% of total net anthropogenic emissions. Ag. methane emissions primarily originate from livestock and rice cultivation.

As part of the Global Methane Pledge partnership, working together with the Dept of State, IFAD is committed to prioritizing methane mitigation in its project portfolio, which already includes a significant share of activities in ag. sub-sectors relevant to methane emissions. Identifying and building upon lessons learned to reduce agricultural methane – IFAD aims to apply methods that simultaneously achieve economic development, adaptation, and methane mitigation goals.

During the session new announcements on methane reduction will be made. This interactive session shall highlight the overlap between climate mitigation and adaptation approaches in the ag. sector, emphasizing avenues to reduce methane emissions. A panel of relevant stakeholders will speak to the challenges and opportunities of expanding the mitigation benefits of adaptation projects including ex. from countries and inst.

Organized by AIM for Climate partner: International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

Speakers:
Richard Duke, Deputy Special Envoy for Climate U.S. State Dept
Juan Carlo Mendoza, Director for Environment, Climate, Gender and Social Inclusion Division, IFAD

Hayden Montgomery, Program Director – Agriculture Global Methane Hub
Claire Henly, Senior Advisor in the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, U.S. State Department
Priya Shyamsundar, Lead Economist, The Nature Conservancy

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2:30 PM-3:30 PM

Restoring Productivity to Degraded Cropland and Pastures

We believe that one of the most impactful transformations to significantly reduce CO2 emissions from global agriculture while preserving biodiversity and enhancing farmers’ income is reclaiming degraded farmland to avoid land expansion. In this session speakers from The Nature Conservancy, Syngenta and partners will present a uniquely successful program which has achieved results on over 64,000 ha in the Cerrado region in Brazil. This event will mark the launch of its new phase, which will expand investments to US$460 million USD by 2025.

Organized by AIM for Climate partner: Syngenta

Speakers:
Grazielle Parenti, LATAM Head Business & Sustainability, Syngenta
Michael Wironen, Director of Corporate Engagement for Food & Water, The Nature Conservancy
Daniel Vennard, Chief Sustainability Officer, Syngenta
Julia Mangueira, Deputy Director of Sustainable Agriculture, The Nature Conservancy
Pedro Barros Barreto Fernandes, Director for Agribusiness, Banco Itaú BBA

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2:30 PM-3:30 PM

The Power of Data and Forecasting to Strengthen Agricultural Output

Emerging technologies and data forecasting have had tremendous impact on agriculture, helping farmers to monitor the health of crops, predict future yields, make resource management decisions and, ultimately, help make their farming practices climate resilient. Despite these gains, there still remains significant gaps on how we collect data, analyse and, importantly, how we disseminate and present that data to communities, governments and the private sector. Bringing together scientists, development actors, the private sector and funders, we will host a discussion on the power of data to strengthen agricultural output using the latest in climate-smart agritech and data modelling.

Our discussion will focus on two key areas:
• The long-term impact of climate change on agriculture and the need for long-term/robust data modelling
• The challenges with how data are currently being disseminated, presented and effectively used by global and local actors. We will explore possible solutions and outcomes including collaboration between the different
actors.

We will end the discussion with the presentation of the newly launched Jameel Observatory-CREWSnet platform.

Organized by AIM for Climate partner: Community Jameel

Speakers:
Elfatih Eltahir, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Project Leader, MIT and Jameel Observatory-CREWSnet
Martien van Nieuwkoop, Global Director for the Agriculture and Food Global Practice, World Bank
Bradley Doorn, Program Manager, Water Resources and Agriculture, NASA
Myisha Ahmed, Climate and Environmental Specialist, BRAC
Uzma Sulaiman, Associate Director, Community Jameel
Deborah Campbell, Senior Staff, MIT Lincoln Laboratory

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2:30 PM-5:30 PM

2nd AIM for Climate Ministerial

Co-chaired by the United States and the United Arab Emirates, this event is for AIM for Climate government partner head of delegations and invited guests only.

Tom Vilsack, Secretary, Department of Agriculture, United States

Mariam Almheiri, Minister, Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, United Arab Emirates

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4:00 PM-5:00 PM

Driving Innovation in Global Livestock Methane Mitigation through Research Funding

Innovation in livestock production is important for fulfilling the Global Methane Pledge goal of reducing methane emissions by 30% by 2030. This session will share new analysis of the US and global innovation needs for reducing livestock methane and the benefits associated with these innovations beyond climate mitigation, discuss increases in philanthropic funding for methane mitigation research, and highlight exciting new research efforts from around the globe. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in reducing livestock methane emissions, and the critical role that new research efforts can play in achieving this goal.

Organized by AIM for Climate partner: The Breakthrough Institute

Speakers:
Chris Gambino, Senior Sustainable Livestock Analyst, The Breakthrough Institute
Hayden Montgomery, Program Director – Agriculture, Global Methane Hub
Marcia DeLonge, Program Director, High Tide Foundation
Amy Ganguli, National Program Leader, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Juan Tricarico, Senior Vice President, Environmental Research, Dairy Management In

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4:00 PM-5:00 PM

Scaling action to achieve alternative protein’s climate potential

The food system plays an integral role in our ability to stay within 1.5 C degrees. As the global demand for meat continues to rise, protein diversification—in particular the scaling of alternative proteins—is a critical lever to reach our collective climate goals and sustainably feed a growing population. Increasingly, investors are integrating environmental risks related to the food system into their investment decision-making. Companies that diversify into new sources of climate-smart protein are drawing attention. Yet, the climate opportunity in alternative proteins remains largely untapped.

This session will feature a diverse set of stakeholder perspectives from think tanks, industry, and the investor community to explore the potential of alternative proteins to minimize the climate impact of our food system, along with what it will take to drive this transformation.

Topics will include the positive impact of alternative proteins on climate and sustainability goals, including methane and other GHG emission reduction; the role of protein diversification in risk management; the social and economic impact of a just transition; and opportunities and challenges to unlock the finance and innovation necessary to scale this nascent but promising industry.

Organized by AIM for Climate partner: The Good Food Institute

Speakers:
Diane Holdorf, Executive Vice President, World Business Council for Sustainable Development
Caroline Bushnell, Vice President, Corporate Engagement, The Good Food Institute
Dan Blaustein-Rejto, Director of Food and Agriculture, The Breakthrough Institute
Maria Lettini, Executive Director, FAIRR Initiative
Anastasia Bodnar, Agricultural Biotechnology Advisor, U.S. Department of Agriculture

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4:00 PM-5:00 PM

Smart Smallholder Fertilizer Management to Address Food Security & Climate Change

Fertilizers are essential for increasing crop yields and ensuring food security, yet fertilizer use for food and fodder is severely skewed at the global level, leading to over-fertilization in some regions and under-fertilization in others. Fertilizer application in low-input systems in developing countries is often insufficient for plant growth, resulting in lower biomass production and soil carbon sequestration. Further, farmers in low-income countries
are more vulnerable to fertilizer supply shortages and price spikes which have direct consequences on food prices and hunger.

In high-input agricultural systems, typically in the Global North, more than half of applied fertilizer is lost to the environment, driving emissions and pollution. We need to find the right balance between fertilizer use to support food security and addressing climate change and for that we need locally adapted fertilizer management approaches that work for smallholder farmers.

Featuring several AIM4C Innovation sprint together with government partner, this session will highlight nutrient management technologies that increase nutrient use efficiency and will explore all-stakeholder strategies for accelerated adoption and scaling of such technologies.

Organized by AIM for Climate partner: CGIAR

Speakers:
Allison Thomson, AgMission Program Director, Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research
Sieglinde Snapp, Sustainable Agrifood Systems Program Director, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)
Christine Negra, Senior Advisor,,UN Foundation
Anton Earle, Director, Stockholm International Water Institute
Edward Buckler, Research Geneticist, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Tek Sapkota, CIMMYT-CGIAR
Lini Wollenberg, Research Professor, University of Vermo
Ghulam Muhammad Ali, Chairman, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC)

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AIM for Climate AIM for Climate Summit: 8-10 May, JW Marriott, Washington, D.C

Tuesday 9 May 2023

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7:30 AM-8:30 AM Breakfast

Tomorrow’s Harvest: The Essential Role of Women in Agriculture

Remarks by: Dina Esposito, Assistant to the Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development

Hosted by AIM for Climate Partner: FMC Corporation

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9:00 AM-10:30 AM High-Level Plenary |
Breaking Barriers: Insights from Trailblazing Women in Science

Panel featuring female Chief Scientists discussing their experiences and perspectives on the crucial role of women in science and how science and research can contribute to addressing the challenges of climate change and food insecurity.

Eng. Mohammed Alameeri, Assistant Undersecretary, Food Diversity Sector, Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, United Arab Emirates
Shweta Chakraborty, CEO, We Don’t Have Time US
Ismahani Elouafi, Chief Scientist, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Chavonda Jacobs-Young, Chief Scientist, Department of Agriculture, United States
Sarah Kapnick, Chief Scientist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States

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9:00 AM-3:00 PM

Tour | Farm Tour and Barbeque with BetterFedFoods

Visit Ginger Hill Angus Farm in beautiful Washington, Virginia, for a tour of sustainable practices using algae-based soil amendments and feed, followed by a barbeque featuring sustainable beef and other foods.

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11:00 AM-12:00 PM

Breakout | A Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils in Africa

As part of the Feed the Future strategy and commitments made in the U.S.-AU Joint Statement on Food Security at the Africa Leaders Summit, the Office of Global Food Security at the State Department launched the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) in collaboration with the FAO and AU. This partnership focuses on adapting agricultural systems in Africa both above the ground, through investments in plant breeding of nutritious crops, and below the ground, through improvements in soil health.

Historically, investment in plant breeding has focused on major cereals like maize, wheat, and rice. Yet, there are thousands of indigenous and traditional African crops with untapped potential for climate adaptation and nutrition. Moreover, without investment in soil fertility, soil quality and in turn agricultural productivity will continue to deteriorate with climate change. We need both climate-adapted, nutritious crops and healthy soils for a food secure future.

This session will bring together VACS leaders from the State Department, FAO, and AU, soil health innovator Pivot Bio, World Food Prize-winner Cynthia Rosenzweig, and seed-systems giant Bayer to discuss the importance adapting seeds and soils to prepare for climate change.

Organized by AIM for Climate partner: United States (State Department)

Speakers:
Cary Fowler, Special Envoy for Global Food Security, U.S. Department of State
Josefa Sacko, H.E. Ambassador, African Union Commis
Cynthia Rosenzweig, Senior Research Scientist, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
Lisa Safarian, President and Chief Operating Officer, Pivot Bio
Lindiwe Sibanda, Chair, CGIAR System Board, CGIAR
Bob Reiter, Head of Research & Development for the Crop Science, Bayer

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11:00 AM-12:00 PM

Breakout | Accelerating the Adoption of Next Gen Weather Technologies For Local Climate Adaptation

How can we work better together to leverage the latest weather technologies for local climate adaptation? The consequences of climate change are unfolding now. Smallholder farmers remain the least equipped to adapt and
act despite their critical role in global food systems. Major weather-tech investments have been made globally that can significantly increase on-farm weather resilience and prosperity but are not (and may never) reach regions most in need without rapid intervention.

This workshop will convene innovators from across the public, private and NGO sectors to share learnings and insights on the opportunities of next generation technologies for weather forecasting and early warning systems; We will also share examples of partnerships emerging around the world that are ensuring the value generated from next-gen investments reach farmers and the food systems ecosystem (and fast!). Together,
through this workshop, we will work through the challenges, opportunities and future partnerships necessary to reach 600M smallholder farmers with next-gen weather intelligence within our lifetimes.

Invited participants include: space, sea & soil weather innovators, agronomists, farm-facing orgs, philanthropists, gov.

Organized by AIM for Climate partner: TomorrowNow

Speakers:
Georgina Campbell Flatter, Executive Director, TomorrowNow
Boniface Akuku, Director of Information and Communication Technology, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO)
Thomas Cavett, VP of Strategy and Operations, TomorrowNow
Matthew Stein, CEO, Salient Predictions
Rikin Gandhi, Chief Executive Officer, Digital Green
Liz Page, Meteorologist and Center Director University Corporation

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11:00 AM-12:00 PM

Breakout | No Water, No Food: Satellites Transforming Water Management

Satellite observations provide an excellent opportunity to inform agriculture in water-limited growing regions around the globe. In partnership with technology companies, ARS scientists, universities and growers are finally applying these tools to improve water use efficiency. Yet climate change will exacerbate water availability limitations, adding drastic shifts between extreme wet periods and drought periods and requiring a new paradigm for system-wide water management.

In this session, we will demonstrate tools that use satellite observations to precisely manage irrigation and improve agricultural water use efficiency. Annual water savings of over 200 billion gallons could be realized through use on California perennial crops. These tools empower growers to accurately track crop water use without costly field measurements. This breakout session will showcase the opportunities available to technology companies, agriculture industry leaders, agriculture extension specialists, non-profit groups and individual growers dealing with climate change impacts on water resources. Our project has expanded to all major crops in California. With additional investment, this tool can be applied to agricultural production on every continent.

Organized by AIM for Climate partner: United States (USDA)

Speakers:
Nick Dokoozlian, Vice President of Winegrowing Research, E&J Gallo Winery, Ernest & Julio Gall
Robyn Grimm, Director, Climate Resilient Water Systems, Environmental Defense Fund
Josette Lewis, Chief Scientific Officer, California Almond Board, Almond Board of California
Mallika Nocco, Assistant Professor & Cooperative Extension Specialist, UC Davis
Andrew McElrone, Research Plant Physiologist, U.S. Department of Agriculture

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11:00 AM-12:30 PM

Ministerial | Ag Breakthrough

The United Kingdom will host a Ministerial Meeting on the Agriculture Breakthrough to drive global ambition on agriculture technology development and deployment, and highlight synergies with AIM for Climate.
Chaired by Anne Marie Trevelyan, Minister of State in the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, the Ministerial will profile advances in the agriculture sector since COP26, with high-level speakers from the FAO, World Bank and other entities.

The event will also feature a preview of findings for agriculture from the independent Breakthrough Agenda Report 2023, authored by CGIAR with the FAO’s Chief Scientist and UN High Level Climate Action Champions. The report to be launched in September will make recommendations on seven priority technologies.

The Ministerial will enable agriculture ministers to set ambition for the 2024 Agriculture Breakthrough Priority Actions to be launched at COP28.

This event is open to all Ministers (or senior delegates) and accompanying officials.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, United Kingdom

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12:30 PM-2:00 PM Lunch

High-Level Plenary | Innovation for Inclusive Impact: Women at the Heart of our Food Systems

Opening Remarks from Lunch Sponsor: Emily Rees, President and CEO, CropLife International

Panel Discussion: Innovation for Inclusive Impact: Women at the Heart of our Food Systems

The event will feature keynote presentations from Ministers of Agriculture and a series of interactive presentations from the private sector and researchers.

The commitment by the AIM for Climate Partner governments to accelerate investments and research in climate-smart agriculture is of critical importance to protect the global food system from the devastating effects of climate change. However, to date, most climate change policies, investments, and interventions do not adequately integrate gender and some risk exacerbating gender inequalities. Achieving the goal of more climate-resilient and just food systems requires addressing gender inequalities in food systems and elevating women’s agency and leadership in responding to the climate crisis.

This event, hosted by the Gender, Climate Change and Nutrition Integration Initiative (GCAN), supported by U.S. Agency for International Development and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will make the case for why we need to integrate gender into the global response to climate change, particularly in low- and middle-income countries facing food security and nutrition challenges. It will describe examples of gender-responsive, climate-smart agriculture innovations and entry points for scaling these approaches with the help of governments and the private sector.

Emily Rees, President and CEO, CropLife International
Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canada
Isobel Coleman, Deputy Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development, United States
Elizabeth Cousens, President & Chief Executive Officer, UN Foundation
Bob Reiter, Head of Research & Development for the Crop Science, Bayer
Kevin Perkins, Executive Director, Farm Radio International
Laura Suazo, Minister, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Honduras
Hellen Keti, Director, Abosi Top Hill Farmers Cooperative
Claudia Sadoff, Executive Managing Director, CGIAR

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1:00 PM-5:30 PM

Tour | Farm of the Future: Climate-Smart Tools in Action at USDA’s Agricultural Research Center

The USDA Agricultural Research Service Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) is in Beltsville, Maryland. On the tour BARC will showcase science and technologies that are in commercial use, or market-ready, closely related to the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate. Once you arrive, you will see agricultural research in action. We are looking forward to having you join us.
• Tools and sensing systems to measure real-time crop responses to changing climate
• Computer vision and AI sensing systems for precision nitrogen management
• An organic cropping system that minimizes greenhouse gases
• A measurement, reporting and verification platform for soil-based carbon and ESG markets
• The LandPKS mobile app
• A strawberry production system
• Small unmanned aerial systems for drought and disease detection, evaporative stress estimation, and soil moisture mapping

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2:30 PM-4:30 PM

AIM for Climate’s Call to Action: Investment, Innovation, and Implementation

The AIM for Climate Call to Action: Uniting Global Venture Investment in support of Climate-Smart Agricultural Innovation was announced at COP27 to encourage increased investment in climate-smart agricultural innovation to fund startups, early-stage, and emerging companies. Recognizing the important role of the venture community in advancing climate-smart agricultural solutions, the community of angel investors, venture capital, venture debt, corporate venture capital, family and foundation seed investors and other institutional seed investors can play an important role in advancing climate-smart agricultural solutions. Moreover,
implementing at scale on the ground requires concerted effort and partnership. This event will highlight the role of all layers: investment, innovation, and implementation.

Organized by AIM for Climate partners: Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) and International Trade Centre (ITC)

Speakers:
David Livingston, Senior Advisor to U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate
Dr. Saharah Moon Chapotin, Executive Director, Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR)
Joe Wozniak, Director of Trade for Sustainable Development International Trade Centre
Karen LeVert, Venture Partner, Pappas Capital
John Scicchitano, President, Pangea Global Ventures
Jordan McFarlen, Incubator Manager, Cultivator powered by Conexus
Kristin Komives, Director, Programmes, ISEAL
Fiona Shera, Director, Division of Sustainable and Inclusive Trade, International Trade C
Sam Kass, Partner, Acre Venture Partners
Ertharin Cousin, CEO & Managing Director, Food Systems for the Future
Caitlin Noone, Chief Operating Officer, Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU)
Bill Wright, Chair, Enterprise Neurosystem
Guy Hudson, CEO & Co-Founder, Loam Bio
Josefa Sacko, H.E. Ambassador, African Union Commission

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2:30 PM-3:30 PM

Breakout | A Mission for Soil Health to Address Climate Change: Experiences from across the EU

Healthy soils are needed to sequester carbon and thus reduce net greenhouse gas emissions, and for helping agriculture adapt to climate change. Since 2021, soil health has been the focus of a dedicated R&I “Mission” in the European Union. Together with four other EU Missions, this is the first time that a mission-oriented approach to R&I is applied at continental scale.

The EU Soil Mission mobilizes significant amounts of public funding for the creation of 100 “living labs” and “lighthouses” to lead the transition towards healthy soils across Europe, and to conserve and increase soil organic carbon stocks. The Mission aims to align a broad range of public and private actors and instruments with its goals, and to accelerate the uptake of effective solutions by working closely with farmers and other land managers throughout the process.

Framed by two ministerial-level contributions, in this session policy-makers and scientists will exchange experiences and views on the design and initial implementation of the Soil Mission and its potential to address climate change, at the level of the European Union and individual EU countries. An expert contribution from outside of Europe is foreseen to complement and enrich the discussion.

Organized by AIM for Climate partner: European Commission

Speakers:
Jacob Jensen, Minister, Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Denmark
Karen Daly, Senior Research Officer, Teagasc/Agriculture and Food Development Authority, Ireland
Jørgen E. Olesen, Head of Department, Aarhus University, Denmark

Martin Heydon,  Minister of State, Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine, Ireland
Jan-Kees Goet, Vice-Minister, Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, Netherlands
François Chrétien, Director of Research, Development and Technology, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Silke Boger, Counsellor for Agriculture at the Delegation of the European Union to the United States of America Delegation of the Europea
Saskia Visser, Resilient and Climate Neutral Region Manager, EIT Climate-KIC

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2:30 PM-3:30 PM

Breakout | Agricultural Innovation in an Ancient Continent

An overview of Australian climate smart agricultural innovation, including innovation that builds on First Nations people’s knowledge and practices, innovation in delivering climate information to farmers, innovation in carbon and biodiversity markets, and innovation to reduce methane in livestock. This session will feature the breadth of landscapes and climatic conditions for agricultural production in Australia that necessitates a broad range of technological, social and financial solutions to tackle the emissions reduction and adaptation challenges that come with a changing climate. In doing so, Australia has much to share with others in our region and across the world.

Organized by AIM for Climate partner: Australia

Speakers:
Su McCluskey, Special Representative for Australian Agriculture
Jen Taylor, Director Food and Agriculture, CSIRO Agriculture and Food
Dave Henry, Group Leader (Climate Smart Agriculture) CSIRO Agriculture and Food
Andrew Campbell, CEO, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
Hayden Montgomery, Program Director – Agriculture Global Methane Hub

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2:30 PM-3:30 PM

Breakout | Investing in Sustainable Agri-food System Transformation: Finance Gaps and Opportunities

Agrifood systems offer a unique opportunity to address climate change from two perspectives. One, by building resilience across agrifood systems, we ensure their adaptation to climate change. Two, by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, if agricultural systems are managed sustainably. Implementation of climate-resilient agrifood systems requires political will, international cooperation, exchange of knowledge, and financial resources to support agrifood system actors across the world to operate the necessary transformations. The Food and Agriculture for Sustainable Transformation Initiative (FAST), launched at COP27 by the COP27 Presidency, aims at addressing this pressing need and implement concrete actions that would result in improving the quantity and quality of climate finance contributions to transforming agriculture and food systems by 2030.

During this breakout session, speakers will provide concrete examples of actions at the farm and country levels that can support adaptation in the agrifood systems and maintain a 1.5C pathway whilst supporting food and economic security, with a focus on FAST’s three pillars, namely access to climate finance, knowledge and capacity, and policy supports and dialogue.

Organized by AIM for Climate partner: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Speakers:
Zitouni Ould-Dada,Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Chizuru Aoki, Lead Environmental Specialist, GEF Programming Unit
James Morris, Programme Management Officer, Climate & Clean Air Coalit

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4:00 PM-5:00 PM

Breakout | Incentivizing Investments in Technological Innovations through Public Policy

The breakout session will be organized in partnership with World Resources Institute within the theme of “emerging technologies”. The session will focus on the role of policy making in the push to a green transition of our food systems. It will be extremely difficult to succeed with the necessary green transition of the agri-food systems across the globe. However, we also have to do it fast in order to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement: How can policy-makers support and create the right incentives to accelerate investments in the green transition?

Together, multiple stakeholders across the value chain -from farmers, researchers, companies to consumers will have to change business as usual. In the process, new emerging technologies will play a pivotal role and will have to be implemented at great scale. Biogas is an example of a well-known technology, which is today widely used in many countries. We must learn from our past experiences when implementing new emerging technologies such as green biorefining, feed additives, nitrification inhibitors and biochar through pyrolysis.

The breakout session will include participation from both ministers, the agri-food sector and academia.

Organized by AIM for Climate partner: Denmark

Speakers:
Hanne Søendergaard, Executive Vice President, Arla / Global Dairy Platform
Anders Spohr, Senior Partner, Novo Holdings A/S
Timothy Searchinger, Senior Research Scholar, Princeton University
Craig Hanson, Managing Director for Programs, World Resources Institute

Jørgen E. Olesen, Head of Department, Aarhus University, Denmark
Jacob Jensen, Minister, Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Denmark
Morten Boje Hvid, Director of Politics, Sustainability and Communications, Danish Agriculture and Food Council

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4:00 PM-5:00 PM

Breakout | Measuring Soil Health: The Foundation of Regenerative Agriculture

Improved soil health benefits growers, the environment, and society by improving nutrient use efficiency, drought resilience, downstream water quality, greenhouse gas mitigation, carbon sequestration, and ultimately, grower profitability and quality of life.

In partnership with Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation, Cotton Incorporated, Walmart Foundation, VF Foundation, Levi Strauss & Co, and the Hearst Foundations, the Soil Health Institute is determining achievable levels of soil organic carbon concentration, carbon mineralization potential, aggregate stability, and available water holding capacity for different soil types across more than 11 million acres representing 85% of U.S. Cotton Production. The Soil Health Institute’s and U.S. Regenerative Cotton Fund’s goal is to provide a standardized, science-based framework to measure and monitor soil health: the foundation of regenerative agriculture.

Organized by AIM for Climate partner: Soil Health Institute

Speakers:
Cristine Morgan, Chief Scientific Officer, Soil Health Institute
Jesse Daystar, Chief Sustainability Officer, Cotton Incorporated
Devon Leahy, Head of Global Sustainability, Ralph Lauren

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4:00 PM-5:00 PM

Breakout | The Livestock Sector’s Global Climate Ambition Mega Sprint

The breakout session will announce a new Mega Sprint: a collaboration between Pathways to Dairy Net Zero; Livestock, Climate, and System Resilience; and the Nourishing Prosperity Alliance (NPA) Innovation. Panellists will unpack the three initiatives, highlighting the dairy sector’s ambition to providing solutions to reducing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapting to the impact of climate change.

The session will report on progress of Pathways to Dairy Net Zero, a global initiative accelerating the dairy sector’s climate action, while continuing to provide nutrition for six billion people and livelihoods for one billion.

Panelists will explain how the Livestock, Climate and System Resilience innovation sprint is designed to meet the “double burden” challenge that climate change poses for livestock production by addressing both adaptation and mitigation priorities for livestock production systems.

Speakers will highlight how the NPA Sprint is providing a scalable, market-wide solution to key gaps in the animal nutrition market to improve dairy production, boost climate resilience among farmers, increase access to animal-sourced foods, and reduce emissions by promoting climate-smart agriculture.

Organized by AIM for Climate partner: Global Dairy Platform

Speakers:
Donald Moore, Executive Director, Global Dairy Platform
Marilyn Hershey, Dairy Farmer and Chair, Dairy Farmer and Chair, Dairy Management Inc
John Ellenberger, Executive Director, Land O’Lakes Venture37
Hayden Montgomery, Program Director – Agriculture Global Methane Hub
Appolinaire Djikeng, Director General, International Livestock Research Institute, CGIAR
Mike Michener, Deputy Assistant Administrator in the Bureau for Resilience and Food Security, USAID

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5:00 PM-7:30 PM

Tour | Meet the Scientists at CGIAR’s International Food Policy Research Institute

Climate Change Research – Meet the Scientists Event and Reception, by CGIAR’s International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). The event, followed by a reception, will be an opportunity for delegates to meet CGIAR climate scientists and discover their latest innovations. This will include work on modelling impacts of climate change on crop productivity, food security, livelihoods looking at success stories but also at upcoming ground-breaking research.

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AIM for Climate AIM for Climate Summit: 8-10 May, JW Marriott, Washington, D.C

Wednesday 10 May 2023

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9:00 AM-10:30 AM High-Level Plenary

Keynote Remarks:
Michael Kremer, Nobel Laureate and Professor at the University of Chicago
John Kerry, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, U.S. State Department

Keynote Presentation: Announcement of AIM for Climate Grand Challenge: Leveraging the Power of AI and Machine-Learning winners, by Bill Wright, Chair, Enterprise Neurosystem

Fireside Chat:
Secretary Vilsack, Department of Agriculture, United States
Her Excellency Almheiri, Minister, Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, United Arab Emirates
Moderated by: Andrew Solinger, CEO, Foreign Policy

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11:00 AM-12:00 PM

Breakout | Accelerated pathways for improved varieties onto small-scale farms

This session will explore what is required for climate-smart crop varieties to come into widespread use in smallholder production systems. It will feature AIM for Climate innovation sprints designed to accelerate the movement of climate-resilient improved varieties through value chains to smallholder farmers. Sprint leaders will explain how they are overcoming bottlenecks between ‘upstream’ scientific advances in genetics and breeding and ‘downstream’ innovation in seed systems that can enable small-scale farmers to access and benefit from climate-smart varieties. National and private sector partners will describe context-specific opportunities for more effectively converting genetic potential into agricultural productivity and climate resilience and mitigation through inclusive, sustainable business models. Discussion will explore the benefits of demand-led approaches and of working closely with public and private sector partners to effectively navigate the complex challenge of delivering improved varieties and climate-smart agronomic practices to smallholder farmers. It will also focus on overcoming investment gaps for integrated seed systems in smallholder production areas.

Organized by AIM for Climate partner: United Nations Foundation

Speakers:
Jean Claude Rubyogo, Global Bean Program Leader & Director, Pan- African Bean Research Alliance (PABRA), Alliance Bioversity-CIAT (CGIAR)
Ajay Panchbhai, Regional Breeding, Seed Systems and Product Management Lead – Africa, International Rice Research Institute
Gloria Phekani, Managing Director, Milele Agroprocessing Limited
Hellen Keti, Director, Abosi Top Hill Farmers Cooperative
Atugonza Bilaro, Principal Scientist, Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI)
Christine Negra, Senior Advisor, UN Foundation

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11:00 AM-12:00 PM

Breakout | Innovation Commission for Climate Change, Food Security and Agriculture

Innovation can help address interlinked challenges of climate change, food security, and agriculture. However, large gaps between social needs and private incentives often result in underinvestment in some types of innovation. The Innovation Commission will generate new ideas to encourage innovation development and propose concrete steps to support the development of highly impactful innovations. The Commission will be chaired by Michael Kremer, Professor at the University of Chicago and winner of the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel in 2019. This breakout session will feature a panel discussion with Professor Kremer, former President of Mexico Ernesto Zedillo, and Dr. Vera Songwe.

The discussion will focus on the potential of innovations to promote climate mitigation and adaptation, agricultural productivity, and food security. The panel will think broadly about innovation to include anything that enables more value to be created with fewer resources, such as better weather forecasts and shock-responsive social protection systems. The discussion will be moderated by Amanda Glassman, Executive Vice President at the Center for Global Development.

Organized by AIM for Climate partner: University of Chicago

Speakers:
Michael Kremer, Nobel Laureate, Professor, University of Chicago
Amanda Glassman, Executive Vice President, Center for Global Development.
Vera Songwe, Nonresident senior fellow Africa Growth Initiative, Brookings Institution
Chavonda Jacobs-Young, Chief Scientist, Department of Agriculture, United States

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11:00 AM-12:00 PM

Breakout | Scaling Healthy Soil Practices through Innovative Partnerships, Financing & Policy

The main goal of the Coalition of Action 4 Soil Health (CA4SH) is to improve soil health globally by addressing critical implementation, monitoring, policy, and public and private investment barriers that currently constrain farmers from scaling healthy soil practices.

The four main targets include: 1) Integrate soil health in policy across the development, environment, agriculture and climate change domains; 2) Expand research in development on soil health practices and monitoring; 3) Significantly increase the number of hectares of land under healthy soil practices; 4) Increase investments in soil health by a margin of 5-10 fold above current financing commitments. This session will bring together actors from the various sectors to highlight a roadmap to successful scaling of healthy soil practices, globally. We will highlight on-the-ground advancements in the accurate monitoring of soil health, opportunities for a soil health
resolution in the upcoming climate negotiations, as well as realistic and equitable financing opportunities.

Organized by AIM for Climate partner: CIFOR-ICRAF (CGIAR’s Center for International Forestry Research and International Council for Research in Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF))

Speakers:
Cristine Morgan, Chief Scientific Officer, Soil Health Institute

Sieglinde Snapp, Sustainable Agrifood Systems Program Director, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)
Leigh Winowiecki, Global Research Lead: Soil and Land Health, CIFOR-ICRAF and CA4SH
Dhanush Dinesh, Founder, Clim-Eat
Diane Holdorf, Executive Vice President, World Business Council for Sustainable Development
Monica McBride, Director of Global Partnerships for Environment and Landscapes, Bayer
Robert Bonnie, Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Rattan Lal, Distinguished University Professor of Soil Science, The Ohio State University
Florence Reed, Founder, Director of Strategic Growth, Sustainable Harvest International

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12:30 PM-2:00 PM

Lunch High-Level Plenary

Keynote Remarks:
Carol Spahn, Director, Peace Corps, United States, FFAR’s Model: Solutions Rooted in Partnerships
Dr. Saharah Moon Chapotin, Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research

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1:30 PM-4:30 PM

Tour | Innovative Urban Landscapes for Climate Resilience and International Ag Celebrations

The National Arboretum: Enhancing Environmental Value of Urban Landscapes, by USDA/ARS. A tour of USDA’s National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, the first public museum dedicated to the art and science of bonsai, just ahead of World Bonsai Day. Tour will culminate with a visit to the National Arboretum herbarium, the official USDA herbarium and critical component of research and conservation of plant genetic resources.

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2:30 PM-3:30 PM

Breakout | A Roadmap to Double Global Pulse Consumption by 2028

Beans is How’s mission to double global bean (as well as pea, lentil, pulse and legume) consumption in the next five years. The campaign is guided by the Bean Science & Innovation Advisory Council, a trans-disciplinary group of experts that will ensure the campaign communication and advocacy strategy sits firmly on a trusted evidence base. This event will convene conversation to socialize our newly released Theory of Change and accompanying research agenda to validate our approach. It will announce new funding priorities and commitments for our behavior change efforts to help achieve our goals, along with priority countries. It will be organized in the following three parts:
• discuss positive and negative tradeoffs to successfully achieving our mission;
• present our planned behavior change strategy; and
• convene interactive breakout groups to invite attendees to critique and contribute towards our efforts.

Organized by AIM for Climate partner: SDG2 Advocacy Hub

Speakers:
Christine Negra, Senior Advisor, UN Foundation
Jean Claude Rubyogo, Global Bean Program Leader & Director, Pan- African Bean Research Alliance (PABRA), Alliance, Bioversity-CIAT (CGIAR)
Paul Newnham, Executive Director, SDG2 Advocacy Hub / Beans is How
Alyson Greenhalgh Ball, Founder, Conscious Impact; Bean Science & Innovation Advisory Council Member, Conscious Impact
Eve Turow-Paul, Executive Director of Food for Climate League; Bean Science & Innovation Advisory Council Member, Food for Climate League
Tim McGreevy, CEO of the American Pulses Association; CEO of the US Dry Pea and Lentil Council; Bean Coalition Mem, American Pulses As

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2:30 PM-3:30 PM

Breakout | Ireland’s Agri-Food Sector Transformation Deep Demonstration

The Irish Climate Action Plan 2023 and the Food Vision 2030 Strategy have together set out ambitious plans for the Irish agri-food sector. The goal is to reduce emissions by 25% by 2030 and to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. Achieving this will require new and innovative approaches by everyone in the industry and beyond. Ireland needs to embed new thinking and approaches across the sector to deliver climate goals whilst retaining a thriving sector.

Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine has partnered with EIT Climate-KIC – Europe’s largest climate innovation partnership – to work with public and private stakeholders in the Irish agri-food sector and help the sector deliver an accelerated pathway of climate action.

Climate KIC are combining their international expertise on climate innovation and system change with local knowledge and organisations to support the agri-food sector to thrive while meeting challenging climate targets. The breakout session will provide in dept detail of the innovation partnership, the workplan for 2023, the systems map, developing the portfolio of projects including the experiences and learnings to date. Delivery will be by presentation and a questions and answers session.

Organized by AIM for Climate partner: Ireland Martin Heydon, Minister of State, Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine, Ireland

Speakers:

Bill Callanan, Chief Agricultural Inspector Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine
Karen Daly, Senior Research Officer, Teagasc/Agriculture and Food Development Authority, Ireland
Edwina Love, Head of Climate Change and Bioenergy Policy Division, Ireland’s Department
Tom Arnold, Former Chair, Food Vision 2030 Stakeholder Committee

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2:30 PM-3:30 PM

Breakout | Transformative Climate-Smart Technologies for the Farms of the Future

Climate-smart farming practices are quickly becoming a leading global strategy to adapt to and mitigate climate change. Agricultural experts routinely recommend precision nitrogen and weed management, cover crops, and reduced tillage as the top climate-smart strategies to lower greenhouse gases and increase carbon storage. However, adoption of these farming practices is still quite low; U.S. cropland was at just 5.1% cover crops, and ~21% no-till acreage in 2017. Barriers to adoption include the increased costs and knowledge required to manage more complex biological systems. In this session, we will discuss low-cost crop- and soil-mapping technologies and web-based decision support tools that enable site-specific, climate-adaptive crop fertility and pest management. These technologies are easy to use, affordable, and scale-neutral, meaning that they can be deployed on farms of any size. Furthermore, these sensing technologies, when coupled with decision tools, facilitate precision sustainable agricultural practices for improved soil health and can track long-term changes in soil carbon dynamics. Lastly, these technologies will play a key role in quantifying the value of climate-smart farming for expanding carbon marketplaces.

Organized by AIM for Climate partner: United States (USDA)

Speakers:
Allen Torbert, Soil Scientist, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Satya Mallick, CEO, OpenCV.org
Ian Jones, Chair,Carbon Asset Solutions
Ethan Rublee, Founder and Director, Farm-NG
Steven Mirsky, Ecologist, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Chris Reberg-Horton, Professor of Cropping Systems, North Carolina State University

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4:00 PM-5:00 PM

Breakout | Food Waste as a Climate Strategy

January’s North American Leaders Summit commitment to reduce food loss and waste (FLW) is the latest recognition of FLW as a critical climate strategy. ReFED, with partners at USEPA, GMH, WWF, and RMI, proposes to begin a conversation about how FLW food waste can be integrated into AIM for Climate focal areas, and the broader food and agriculture discourse at COP28.

Addressing FLW across global contexts would:
• Reduce supply chain and waste emissions – particularly landfill methane – and unnecessary deforestation, land conversion, fertilizer application and runoff, and water consumption.
• Build resilience and support farmers’ livelihoods by developing stable and flexible markets for what’s grown
• Embrace emerging technology such as blockchain, smart organic coatings, etc.

ReFED will announce an inaugural model update to further enable informed decision making on FLW management, and preview a novel tool that tracks public and philanthropic funding in the space. We also hope to announce a research partnership with GMH. The session will provide an opportunity for new collaborations to be forged. We hope to gather feedback and develop a set of guiding principles and research questions to be pursued this year before COP28.

Organized by AIM for Climate partner: ReFED

Speakers:
Danielle Nierenberg, President, Food Tank
Dana Gunders, Executive Director, ReFED
Tom Frankiewicz, Subject Matter Expert for Waste Sector Methane, Rocky Mountain Institute
Jean Buzby, USDA Food Loss and Waste Liaison, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Manjyot Ahluwalia, Regional Lead Asia, Global Methane Hub
Ann Vaughan, Senior Advisor for Climate Change, Bureau for Resilience and Food, USAID
Alex Nichols-Vinueza, Program Manager, Food Loss & Waste, WWF

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4:00 PM-5:00 PM

Breakout | Innovation for Integrating and Mainstreaming Agriculture in the NDCs

Countries in all regions face significant ongoing challenges when proposing or implementing agricultural actions included on the NDCs. While governments clearly acknowledge the importance and vulnerability of the agriculture sector, there is a need for greater implementation of transformational measures rather than incremental steps, as well as horizontal (between sectors) and vertical coordination (different levels of governance) to maximize efforts. This requires a significant amount of innovation, not only technological but also institutional and social. This is common across all regions.

Though specific needs may vary, there are common challenges and sharing lessons learned between countries and regions can help accelerate innovation processes. Particular solutions such as the application of Climate-Smart Agriculture have been fundamental to reach common goals.

The proposed session will allow representatives from each region to comment from their experience and what they are doing to accelerate agricultural innovation in their country or region and how they are fostering articulation between the sectors and actors to achieve this.

Organized by AIM for Climate partner: Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)

Speakers:
Manuel Otero, Director General, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)
Emily Weeks, Senior Policy Advisor in the Bureau of Resilience and Food Security, USAID
Dina Esposito, Assistant to the Administrator, USAID
Josefa Sacko, H.E. Ambassador, African Union Commission
William Hohenstein, Director, Office of Energy and Environmental Policy Office of the Chief Economist, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Laura Suazo, Minister, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Honduras

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4:00 PM-5:00 PM

Breakout | Leveraging Investments for a Better Agricultural Research Ecosystem

In this breakout session, FONTAGRO and a group of distinguished guests from the United States Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Institute from Chile, the Global Research Alliance and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture will describe the last decade’s work on building sustainable agricultural research ecosystems across the globe in the context of climate change and how a new oversight on alliances is on the horizon. The future possibilities for research ecosystems with a vision of food systems transformation based on standards of equity and sustainability, alongside sustainability and resilience will be
debated during this experts panel. Several organizations, public and private, have joined us to co-finance science, technology, and innovations for the agricultural and agrifood sector. These innovations will tackle climate challenges by working hand by hand with scientists, extensionists, and farmers. All those new developments are crucial opportunities to create international public good that help farmers worldwide to cope with the challenges we face on climate, among many others.

Organized by AIM for Climate partner: FONTAGRO

Speakers:
Eugenia Saini, Executive Secretary, FONTAGRO
Maria Teresa Pino Quezada, Chief of International Cooperation, INIA – CHILE
Jack Okamuro, National Program Leader , Crop Production and Protection, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Sarah Beebout, National Program Leader, Sustainable Agricultural Systems, U.S. Department of Agriculture
John Roche, Chief Science Adviser, Ministry for Primary Industries, New Zealand

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AIM for Climate AIM for Climate Summit: 8-10 May, JW Marriott, Washington, D.C

Thursday 11 May 2023

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8:30 AM-5:30 PM

Field Day | From Land to Sea: Managing Natural Waters to Advance Global Sustainability Goals

From Land to Sea: Managing Natural Waters to Advance Global Sustainability Goals, by Solutions from the Land and the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research.  In a city-to-sea field day, see Mid-Atlantic climate-smart agriculture, meet producers, and feast on local fare! Sites include The Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology, The Delmarva Land and Litter Collaborative to support a thriving poultry industry, and the Ferry Cove Oyster Hatchery.