Kerry speaks with optimism about pioneering US-UAE food and agriculture plan

Aim for Climate, which will be launched at Cop26 in Glasgow this year, seeks to speed up research and development in the food production sector

US climate envoy John Kerry attends the Regional Climate Dialogue in Abu Dhabi in April. Office of the UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change

US climate envoy John Kerry spoke of his optimism about a US-UAE-led plan to address food insecurity.

Aim for Climate seeks innovation in agriculture at a time when climate change threatens the stability of food production around the world.

The joint US-UAE plan was unveiled on Friday at US President Joe Biden's two-day gathering of 40 world leaders, where the aim was to get the biggest economies to cut emissions of planet-heating gases and keep rising temperatures under control.

“The United States is proud to be pioneering the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate initiative along with the United Arab Emirates and several other supportive partners," said Mr Kerry, who is US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate.

I was impressed by the ingenuity being applied to food and climate challenges during my recent trip to the UAE, and know that we all stand to benefit by sharing best practices

"I was impressed by the ingenuity being applied to food and climate challenges during my recent trip to the UAE, and know that we all stand to benefit by sharing best practices and raising innovation ambition when it comes to climate-smart agriculture.

"Aim for Climate can serve as a unique platform for co-operation among many countries on these shared challenges."

Mr Kerry spent several days in Abu Dhabi this month and he joined a regional summit on climate change in the capital.

Aim was endorsed by United Kingdom's Cop 26 presidency, with support from Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Israel, Singapore, and Uruguay.

It was launched with the agreement that climate change and the extreme weather events it has brought are a direct threat to global food security.

Natural disasters, storms, and floods have already wiped out crops and livestock that support millions of lives, particularly in the developing world.

Rising temperatures and extreme weather events already "undermine long-standing agricultural practices – threatening to damage the sector and keep millions of people in poverty", Mr Kerry's office added in the statement.

Aim for Climate will be advanced at the UN Food Systems Summit in September and launched at Cop26 in Glasgow, Scotland, in November.

By Cop26 in November, Aim for Climate will:

1) Demonstrate collective commitment to investment in agricultural innovation and R&D for climate-smart food systems by its participants over the next five years;

2) Outline a framework to discuss and promote priorities across international and national levels of innovation, in order to amplify participants’ investments; and

3) Identify chief scientists as key focal points for international co-operation on climate-related agricultural R&D, drawing on their unique insights and equities across governmental bodies.

Aim for Climate will focus on, and promote co-ordination between, three main investment channels:

1) Scientific breakthroughs using basic agricultural research through national-level government agricultural R&D and academic research institutions;

2) Public and private applied innovation and R&D for development through support to international research centres, institutions, and laboratory networks;

3) Development and deployment of practical, actionable research and information to producers and other market participants, utilising national agricultural research extension systems.

John Kerry tours Abu Dhabi in climate visit – in pictures

US climate envoy John Kerry attends the Regional Climate Dialogue in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. This is Mr Kerry's first visit to the Middle East, and Asia, since being appointed to the role. Courtesy: Office of the UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change

US climate envoy John Kerry attends the Regional Climate Dialogue in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. This is Mr Kerry's first visit to the Middle East, and Asia, since being appointed to the role. Courtesy: Office of the UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change

Alok Sharma, President of Cop26, attends the Regional Climate Dialogue in Abu Dhabi.

The pledge issued at the end of the Regional Climate Dialogue vowed to help the most vulnerable.

Delegates at the talks in Abu Dhabi.

Abdullah Al Nuaimi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment and John Kerry, US climate envoy at the dialogue.

Abdullah Al Nuaimi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, at the Regional Climate Dialogue.

The dialogue comes during a critical year in the global fight to halt rising temperatures. Courtesy: Office of the UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change

The UAE's Special Envoy for Climate Change, Dr Sultan Al Jaber, at the Regional Climate Dialogue. Courtesy: Office of the UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change

US climate envoy John Kerry is given a helicopter tour of Noor solar park, outside Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Courtesy: Office of the UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change

John Kerry speaks with Dr Sultan Al Jaber at Abu Dhabi's Shams 1 solar park on Saturday. The National

This is John Kerry's first visit to the Middle East since being appointed US climate envoy. The National

Mr Kerry has vowed to make up for the 'lost years' of the Donald Trump presidency and put the US at the forefront of efforts to protect the environment. The National

John Kerry meets Francesco La Camera, director general of International Renewable Energy Agency, which has its global headquarters in Abu Dhabi. The National

US climate envoy John Kerry visits Jubail Mangrove Park. Courtesy Office of the UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change

An aerial image of Abu Dhabi's Noor solar park. Its 3.2 million panels make it the largest single-site solar park in the world. Courtesy: Noor Abu Dhabi

Arrayed panels at Abu Dhabi's Noor solar park. Pawan Singh / The National