Working together for our extraordinary planet!

By Mona McCord

Our health, the food we eat, and how we produce it, are deeply connected to our planet’s health – poor dietary habits are associated with a range of chronic diseases, and agriculture is the main driver of biodiversity loss, tropical deforestation, and soil and water degradation. It is also a major source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Complicating matters is a general trend that suggests we will need significantly more nutritious food to feed a growing population on a planet facing an increasingly hostile environment due to climate change.??

It is clear our global food system and the daunting and intertwined challenges in population growth, consumption patterns and climate change will depend on safeguarding our atmosphere, biodiversity, and water resources. In the past decade, there have been several important global policy frameworks to help do so, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, the Small Island Developing States Accelerated Modalities of Action, the New Urban Agenda, and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development.

These frameworks have introduced the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and land degradation neutrality (LDN). More recently we have seen historic agreements from governments on COP15 for a roadmap to protect and restore nature. This includes Kunming-Montreal Agreement that outlines four biodiversity goals for 2050 and 23 targets for 2030.???

All the while, the global polycrisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and social inequality is ever present and has become both more pressing and more intense, as increasingly frequent and extreme weather events leave a feeling of hopelessness.??

The urgency of radical collaboration

The recent tightening of environmental regulations, such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), as well as non-binding agreements and frameworks mentioned above, provides a beacon of hope that transforming our food systems is possible. Although important, relying solely on these regulations and frameworks is not enough. Transforming agriculture at the scale and speed needed at this critical time requires a herculean effort that can only be achieved through radical collaboration.??

Radical collaboration embodies this idea of partnership in which agribusinesses, government, civil society, producers, and local communities, bring diverse knowledge and expertise to collectively think and find innovative solutions that create positive social and environmental change. The commitment, courage and audacity between the different partners builds on the principle of linking and alignment rather than ranking or a top-down approach. As a result, these partnerships are grounded in equality and a common goal of increasing collaborative intelligence.?

As a global impact network, the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) collaborates and connects with its members, as well as other organizations, to catalyze system change that transforms agriculture for food, nature, and people. SAN’s diverse member network across geographies (thirty and growing) is an important aspect for creating a supportive ecosystem for sustainable agriculture for farmers and rural communities by delivering collaborative strategies that help us go further and faster to address collective goals and achieve shared missions. Collaboration with the private sector presents important opportunities to sustain transformational change for food, nature, and people, and to create truly sustainable businesses that strive to restore hope for the future of our extraordinary planet.?

We invite partners to radically collaborate with us to achieve sustainable, equitable, and secure food systems for nature and people.?