11 November 2022

12:30-13.30 - IRENA Pavilion

Energy and agrifood systems are deeply connected. While energy is needed at every stage of agrifood systems, its current use in their development is unsustainable. On the one hand, about 30% of the world’s energy is consumed within agrifood systems, mainly in the form of fossil fuels, and this energy is responsible for a third of their greenhouse gas emissions. On the other hand, energy poverty affects many food chains in developing countries, causing significant food losses and impeding improvements in yields and value addition. Moreover, hundreds of millions of people still do not have access to clean cooking fuels; they use traditional wood energy; which contributes to significant health and environmental costs.

The challenge is to decouple food systems’ transformation from the use of fossil fuels to stimulate socio-economic development and make them more inclusive, resilient and contribute to climate action without hampering food security. Both the energy and food systems must be transformed to meet current and future demand for food and energy in an inclusive and environmentally sustainable manner. A joint approach to the energy transition and the transformation of agrifood systems is crucial to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement targets.

At COP 27, and keeping a focus on financing, IRENA and FAO take stock on progress so far and partner with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to host this panel discussion to discuss practically how cross-sector partnerships can break down silos to mobilize much-needed capital into energy infrastructure that can strengthen agrifood chains, enhance food security and tackle multiple development and climate mitigation and adaptation goals. The event will convene key stakeholders to share insights from ongoing and planned initiatives, as well as forge new cross-sector partnerships with the aim of facilitating projects and investments in renewables within agrifood systems.

More on this event: https://irena.org/events/2022/Nov/IRENA-at-COP27