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This blog is based on finding from the IFPRI discussion paper, From farm to table: Agrifood systems and trade challenges in the Southern Cone.

Introduction

Over the past three decades, the world lost as much as $3.8 trillion in agricultural products as a result of disaster events, according to a new flagship report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. That equates to a loss of around 5 percent of global agricultural GDP per year and has serious implications for food security, agricultural livelihoods, and the sustainability of the global agrifood system.

In the face of escalating conflicts, economic slowdowns and downturns, and the growing climate crisis, the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) plays a crucial role in enhancing transparency and policy coordination in international food markets, Maximo Torero, Chief Economist of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), has said.

Speaking at an expert panel at the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) 2024 in Berlin, he stressed how AMIS has helped to prevent unexpected price hikes and strengthen global food security.

Despite the inconclusive outcome on the COP27 Sharm El-Sheikh Implementation Plan in Dubai, COP28 has nonetheless been hailed for putting a much needed and strong focus on food systems, which are simultaneously threatened by and contribute to climate change.

IFPRI participated in COP28 in late 2023 as part of a wider CGIAR delegation. Following on CGIAR’s five key takeaways from the global climate conference, this blog post—written by IFPRI Communications and Public Affairs Director Charlotte Hebebrand with input from IFPRI research units—reflects on the significance of the COP28 UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action through a policy lens.