Slow Food at COP26

The Conference of the Parties must be ambitious in tackling the climate crisis. Slow Food will be in Glasgow to make the movement’s voice heard

“Slow Food is ready to make its voice heard during COP26, together with civil society and young people, because the next world climate conference in Glasgow starting on November 1st must accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change,” says Marta Messa, director of Slow Food Europe, announcing the presence of Slow Food at COP26. “Food and farming must be part of the solution and no longer a cause of climate change.”

“Agroecology, climate neutrality, social justice. These are the keywords which summarize Slow Food requests for COP26,” adds Messa.  “Industrial food systems contribute to up to a third of global emissions. Slow Food asks food and agriculture be given the prominence they deserve in the final agreement of COP26. Agroecology should be recognized as a central tool to tackle the multiple crises we face, including the climate crisis: agroecology is rooted in rebuilding relationships between agriculture and the environment, and between food systems and society. In order to meet climate neutrality by 2050, COP26 should pave the way for the transition towards agroecological food systems, where evidence shows that they keep carbon in the ground, support biodiversity, rebuild soil fertility and sustain yields over time, providing a basis for secure farm livelihoods. This transition must include an action plan to significantly reduce and improve the production and consumption of meat, dairy, and eggs, and to halve food waste by 2050.”