US Farmers & Ranchers In Action Group Commits To UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals

The group US Farmers & Ranchers in Action (USFRA) this month issued a new report spotlighting the key role US agriculture plays in reaching the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). They acknowledged that unmatched collaboration across the food value chain is required so the agriculture sector can recover from recent catastrophic events, build resiliency to manage future shocks, and ensure climate-smart agriculture solutions are accessible and affordable for farmers and ranchers. USFRA released the report, titled, “US Agriculture’s Opportunities to Contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals,” at its annual Honor the Harvest Forum, co-hosted by The Aspen Institute. This virtually-convened event included more than 200 farmer, rancher, food, agriculture, finance, science, and technology leaders. Together, they finalized a first-of-its-kind food and agriculture sector-wide vision: a future where a resilient, restorative, economically viable, and climate-smart agricultural system produces abundant and nutritious food, natural fiber, and clean energy for a sustainable, vibrant, and prosperous US. “There has never been a more important time in our history to co-create the sustainable food systems of the future,” said USFRA Board Chairman and seventh-generation farmer, Chip Bowling. “At this year’s Honor the Harvest Forum, we deepened focus on coordinating efforts to ensure our food system remains resilient and adaptive to meet challenges on the farm and throughout the supply chain to continue to feed people and support communities.” While US agriculture already has accumulated a number of positive environmental, social, and economic outcomes, USFRA recognizes that helping to achieve these goals by unlocking the potential opportunities and avoiding risks is beyond the reach of any single business. It requires innovative and new forms of collaboration at scale. By using the SDGs as essential benchmark for observing and measuring sustainable production, the group was able to look ahead toward ensuring the future growth and inputs needed by US agriculture...MORE

UN looking for $100 billion annually for climate initiatives

Today’s Climate Finance Meeting at the United Nations village in Copenhagen will be seeking to build a USD 100 billion per year framework for climate initiatives in the developing world from 2020 onwards. “100 billion dollars per year from 2020 is a major challenge. It’s a lot of funding but it is possible if there is a political will to do so. Where there’s a will there’s a way,” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said prior to the meeting. Such a major amount of funding cannot come from public funds alone, and today’s meeting will be discussing how private funds – such as those from insurance companies and pension funds – can be incorporated. “The main part of the funding will come from the private sector, so it’s important that they are given the right conditions. The framework will be developed further at the next COP meeting in Warsaw,” says the meeting’s host, Climate Minister Martin Lidegaard...more