This year’s climate summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt sees four pavilions dedicated to food and farming. Theo de Jager, former president of the World Farmers’ Organisation, says every farmer knows what he or she can do better on their farms. Farmers need to produce more with less.
Excerpts from the interview with Theo de Jager
Theo de Jager on big dreams for COP27
I have very big dreams for this COP, not only because it’s in Africa, but it’s the first COP that really has a pertinent focus on food, agriculture and our food systems. I remember our campaigns in the run-up to Paris because in the Kyoto Protocol, agriculture was not even mentioned. There was nothing about food there. All of a sudden we have a COP for ourselves where all the focus is on what we need and how we produce.
On farmers producing more with less
I think much depends on us. And when I talk about us, I’m not referring to governments. If we leave it to governments, it’s not going to go anywhere. It’s up to the industry. It’s up to the private sector. It’s up to civil society. There are about 1.6 billion farmers in the world. It’s not only the oldest profession, it is still the biggest profession today. More people eke out a living from agriculture and the value chains than from any other sector. So, no two of them farm the same. We have representatives of some of the world’s biggest farmers and also some of the smallest and poorest farmers. If I can strip it from everything else, what will remain is the challenge to produce more on less, and with less. This is what we need to do. And the only way to do it is through better technology. It is at events like these, where we have an opportunity to exchange, to learn from each other.
On food systems being severely disrupted
We cannot live without food. Our food systems, our markets, were severely disrupted. We had to do a lot of food work. But farmers pulled through. And then came the war in Ukraine. It couldn’t have happened between two worse countries when it comes to our food systems.
Read also:
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- Join the Conversation: Climate change hitting Africa where it hurts most
- Join the Conversation: Reaching net-zero by 2050
