Dispatch From The UN Climate Change Conference: Nov. 10

Danielle Nierenberg

Danielle Nierenberg

Throughout my conversations this week, the need for a systems approach to our climate goals has come up again and again.

We know that all sectors must rapidly decarbonize if we hope to achieve Paris Agreement targets, yet the food system is often left out of climate negotiations and policy. WWF recently found that more than 90 percent of current Nationally Determined Contributions—or each country's commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change—fail to account for the whole food system.

Yesterday at the Nourish Scotland Pavilion, I heard a variety of ways climate issues are too often oversimplified.

Aleph Farms Co-Founder and CEO Didier Toubia talked about how conversations about meat are too often either/or arguments, or "good actors versus bad actors." But an equitable and just transition for this complex sector must include a range of solutions, and must also ensure all those impacted have a seat at the table.

WWF Global Grasslands and Savannahs Initiative Leader Karina Berg talked about how grasslands and savannahs experience some of the fastest rates of biome conversion, but they are often ignored by conservation initiatives. We need more evidence-based, culturally appropriate guides for restoring these incredible ecosystems that also bring the Indigenous communities that rely on them into the conversation.

Danielle Nierenberg is President, Food Tank and can be reached at danielle@foodtank.com.