Vietnam, along with 32 other nations became the first government partners of AIM4C at the COP26 meeting in Glasgow, the UK.
In the context of the global climate crisis "warming up", the AIM4C initiative aims to mobilise investment capital to help the agricultural industry adapt to climate change, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the global agricultural system. With an initial commitment of garnering an “early harvest” of US$4 billion (2021 – 2025) from 23 governments and over 40 non-governmental organisations, AIM4C expects to accelerate innovation, research and development on agriculture and food systems, contributing to the joint efforts to respond to climate change.
In his speech at COP26, the US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said the climate crisis threatened to disrupt food systems around the globe, exacerbate food insecurity and negatively impact farmers’ livelihoods. Therefore, the AIM4C was launched to promote climate action and turn agriculture into a part of the solution in addressing the climate crisis, building resilience against the effects of extreme weather conditions and generating benefits from climate action.
AIM4C focuses on increasing investment and enhancing public-private partnerships and interdisciplinary cooperation which underpin climate action in the agricultural sector in all countries. AIM4C partners are allocating capital to narrow the global investment gap in climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation. Climate-smart agriculture is an approach that helps to transform and reorient agricultural systems towards settling three main objectives including increasing agricultural productivity and incomes sustainably; adapting and building resilience to climate change; and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
To achieve the above goals, the AIM4C initiative aims to accelerate investment into these areas: scientific breakthroughs for agriculture via basic agricultural research at national level and academic research institutions; applied research through the support for international research centres, institutions and laboratory networks around the world; and the development, promotion and implementation of practical products, services and knowledge through national networks.
International unity is the way for the world to win the fight against climate change. At COP26, global leaders together made a series of commitments such as preventing deforestation, reducing methane emissions, bringing net emissions to zero and building financial alliances. In addition, the AIM4C initiative is a breakthrough climate action effort that promises to address the problem of global food security in the future.
