At COP23, Decision–CP/23 invited parties and observers to submit their views on elements to be included in the joint SBSTA-SBI work that is now known as the “Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture” (KJWA). The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) thanks the SBSTA-SBI for the opportunity to comment on issues related to agriculture for consideration at the subsidiary bodies session in April-May 2018. IATP is a 30-year-old non-profit organization based in Minnesota, USA with offices in Washington, D.C. and Berlin, Germany. We have been researching the science and policy implications of climate change on agriculture and rural communities for more than a decade, and have actively participated in multiple Conference of the Parties, including most recently in Paris in 2016 and Bonn in 2017.

The task before the KJWA is formidable: “to jointly address issues related to agriculture…taking into consideration the vulnerabilities of agriculture to climate change and approaches addressing food security.” Our comments focus on the modalities and participation in the five in-session workshops, particularly the critical need to recognize the multifunctionality of agriculture within the climate context; some critical elements for the KJWA to consider; the need to empower community and local-level adaptation strategies, particularly through agroecology; and the need to address the climate impact of the meat and dairy industry.

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