U.S. and UAE-backed initiative announces $9 billion more for agricultural innovation projects

By MELINA WALLING and JOSHUA BICKEL
Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A joint initiative from the United States and United Arab Emirates is announcing an additional $9 billion of funding to tackle agriculture’s role in the climate crisis. The announcement came Friday on the sidelines of the United Nations climate talks in Dubai. The Agriculture Innovation Mission (AIM) for Climate now has $17 billion to invest in agriculture and food systems innovation. Food systems — all the processes involved in making, shipping and disposing of food — account for about a third of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions. With difficult negotiations still underway on how aggressively countries might agree to cut fossil fuel use, it’s been easier for nations and companies to announce funding for programs not directly related to that issue.