By Catherine Teves / Philippine News Agency
The Philippines assured that it supports the goals of the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM4C), a United Arab Emirates-United States (UAE-U.S.) initiative launched at the ongoing 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow.
AIM4C urges increasing and accelerating investments and partnerships in climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation worldwide during the 2021-2025 period to help promote food security, climate health, and farmers’ well-being.
“The Philippines fully supports the goals of AIM4C,” Department of Agriculture (DA) Sec. William Dar said in his message aired during the conference’s virtual session about this initiative.
Science-based interventions and innovations are essential in helping agriculture cope with and build resilience to the changing climate, he noted. “We in the agriculture sector believe that science and innovation is our hope for survival and progress in a changing climate.”
PH at risk due to climate change
AIM4C also believes technology and innovation can help reduce or mitigate agriculture’s estimated 25% contribution to total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that are driving climate change which, in turn, is adversely affecting this sector.
According to experts, GHG emissions from agriculture and other sources accumulate in the atmosphere and trap heat so the earth is warming, changing the climate.
They said the Philippines accounts for less than 1% of GHG emissions worldwide.
They also noted that archipelagic Philippines is among countries most vulnerable to and at risk for climate change’s impacts. Such impacts are increasing the frequency of extreme weather events as well as sea level and temperature rise.
DA and its partners earlier estimated that by 2050, climate change can cost the Philippine economy some $520 million annually.
Increased water and heat stress from climate change can decrease crop yield, increase pest and disease incidence, and shift crop production suitability, the partners noted.
Philippine climate scientist and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change author Lourdes Tibig in a local forum earlier said climate change is threatening rice production nationwide. Rice is a staple crop in the Philippines.
She said climate projections suggest that if unabated warming persists, temperature by this century’s end may already exceed known rice production limits.
That indicates climate change has the potential to disrupt crop productivity, she said. Such disruption will affect domestic agricultural production, consumption, and food security.
Among climate resilience-building practices in Philippine agriculture are using stress-tolerant plant varieties, water harvesting technologies, and adaptive cropping calendars, as well as implementing crop management and agroforestry systems.
AIM4C garnering funds, support
Over 70 countries and organizations have joined AIM4C, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment HE Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Almheiri said.
This week, USDA announced AIM4C has garnered an “early harvest” of $4 billion in increased investments for climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation during this initiative’s five-year period.
USDA also said AIM4C partners “are mobilizing this investment to close the global investment gap in climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation.”
Aside from the Philippines, UAE, and the U.S., AIM4C said its participant-countries include Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Finland, Georgia, Ghana, Honduras, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Lithuania, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Romania, Singapore, Sweden, the Bahamas, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, and Vietnam. (PNA) – jlo
