Scaling climate-resilient farming solutions for global impact – The Hill Times

Report on Strategic Investment for Climate Action and Food Security

Introduction: Addressing Interlinked Global Crises in Line with the SDGs

To effectively address the global challenges of climate change and hunger, strategic investment in proven solutions is paramount. These efforts are central to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Canadian Foodgrains Bank’s Conservation Agriculture (CA+) model represents a viable framework for simultaneously advancing climate action and food security objectives.

Programmatic Focus: Partnering for Climate

The federal program “Partnering for Climate” is a critical initiative designed to support climate change adaptation in Sub-Saharan Africa. Continued investment in this program is essential for building resilience and ensuring sustainable livelihoods in climate-vulnerable regions.

• Objective: To support climate adaptation and enhance food security.
• Geographic Focus: Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Strategic Importance: Aligns with international development goals and commitments to the 2030 Agenda.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Investment in climate-resilient agriculture through programs like Partnering for Climate directly contributes to several key SDGs:

1. SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): By promoting agricultural techniques that improve yields and resilience, the program directly addresses targets related to ending hunger and achieving food security.
2. SDG 13 (Climate Action): The program’s core focus on climate change adaptation is a direct contribution to taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
3. SDG 1 (No Poverty): Enhancing food security and building resilience against climate shocks are fundamental to eradicating poverty, as hunger and climate vulnerability are primary drivers of poverty.
4. SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): This initiative exemplifies a global partnership for sustainable development, mobilizing resources to support developing countries in achieving their climate and food security targets.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Government of Canada, through the Secretary of State for International Development, maintain and enhance its investment in the Partnering for Climate program. Such a commitment is a direct and effective means of supporting the global effort to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically by tackling the interconnected issues of climate change and food insecurity.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article directly addresses or connects to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger: The article explicitly mentions the goal of “ending global hunger” and supporting “food security efforts.”
• SDG 13: Climate Action: The text is centered on “tackling the climate crisis” and supporting “climate change adaptation in Sub-Saharan Africa.”
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The article highlights the importance of partnerships and financial investment from a developed country’s government (Canada) to support developing nations, specifically through a “federal program to support climate change adaptation in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s content, the following specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. SDG 2: Zero Hunger

   • Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality. The article’s focus on “climate adaptation and food security efforts” and the “CA+ model” as a solution points directly to implementing resilient agricultural practices to combat the effects of the climate crisis on food production.

2. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. The article’s call to “support climate change adaptation in Sub-Saharan Africa” directly aligns with this target of building resilience and adaptive capacity in vulnerable regions.
   • Target 13.a: Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries. The call for the Canadian government to “continue to invest in Partnering for Climate, a federal program” is a direct example of a developed country mobilizing financial resources for climate action in developing countries.

3. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.2: Developed countries to implement fully their official development assistance commitments. The article advocates for the Canadian government to “invest” in its “federal program,” which represents a form of Official Development Assistance (ODA) aimed at supporting international development and climate goals.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not mention official SDG indicators with specific codes, but it implies several ways to measure progress:

• Financial Investment: The primary implied indicator is the amount of financial resources allocated. The call for the government to “continue to invest in Partnering for Climate” suggests that the level of funding for this federal program is a key measure of commitment and progress towards climate adaptation and food security goals.
• Program Implementation and Effectiveness: The article presents the “Canadian Foodgrains Bank’s CA+ model” as one of the “solutions that work.” This implies that the effectiveness of such programs in achieving “climate adaptation and food security” is a crucial indicator of success. Progress could be measured by the adoption rate and impact of these models on local communities in Sub-Saharan Africa.

4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Summary

Source: hilltimes.com