Authorities and experts from Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica and Uruguay, with the support of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) as implementing agency for the EUROCLIMA + programme of the European Union, hold the fourth meeting since Wednesday, November 14, of negotiators "Latin American Dialogue on Agriculture and Climate Change".
The meeting, which will run until Friday 16, brings together the negotiators of the countries of the region before the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the officials of the Ministries of Agriculture with technical and political responsibilities in the construction of the country strategy for the compliance of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) in the field of agricultural activities.
The meeting was opened by Jimy Ferrer, Economic Affairs Officer of the Sustainable Development and Human Settlements Division of ECLAC; Sergio Soto, Head of the Market Analysis and Sectoral Policy Department of the Office of Agricultural Studies and Policies of the Ministry of Agriculture of Chile, representing the convening countries, and Susana Agüero, Official of International Cooperation and Development of the Delegation of the European Union in Chile.
During his speech, Jimy Ferrer said that "the agricultural sector, by its characteristics, is one of the most sensitive to the effects of climate change, where changes in structure, yields and crop cycles are expected to occur."
He added that "in economic terms, agriculture is a sector that is very relevant to the region. It is also a strategic sector for the implementation of adaptation measures and is essential to guarantee food security in the region," he said.
Sergio Soto, meanwhile, stressed that "this dialogue will allow us to arrive very well prepared to the agriculture negotiations of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Katowice, Poland (COP24)."
Susana Agüero, meanwhile, reflected on the expectations before the United Nations meeting to be held from December 3 to 14 and noted that "the European Union is very attentive to the development of the COP24 that is expected to be focused on greater monitoring of the NDC".
"This is an area in which our EUROCLIMA + programme can play an important role in supporting the countries of the region," he said.
The main objective of the meeting is for the negotiators to explore, in a non-negotiation environment, common approaches and thus increase the care of the region's interests before the UNFCCC in the context of the Joint Labor of Koronivia on Agriculture, a decision that emerged in the COP23 held in 2017 in Bonn, Germany.
About EUROCLIMA+
EUROCLIMA+ is a programme funded by the European Union to promote environmentally sustainable and climate-resilient development in 18 Latin American countries, particularly for the benefit of the most vulnerable populations. The Programme is implemented through the synergistic work of seven agencies: Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), French Development Agency (AFD), Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Expertise France (EF), International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP), German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) and UN Environment.
