The 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP27, is just around the corner. This year, the international and high-profile conference is another opportunity for Guyana to establish itself as a global leader and be turning point for the country’s own food security agenda. Previous COPs have focused squarely on climate change, particularly on financing for climate mitigation and adaptation efforts as well as reinforcing the importance of meeting global climate goals. While these topics will again be at the forefront of COP27, it will be impossible for leaders not to turn their attention to food security – both because of the linkages between climate change and food insecurity and the current global food crisis. Here, Guyana, already an established leader in the Caribbean on these issues, can take the next step and catapult itself into a role as a global leader on food security and advance its own objectives.
The compounding crises of a more volatile climate and the tertiary effects of the Russia-Ukraine war are causing short- and long-term challenges to food security across the world. As of 2022, and across 82 countries, the World Food Programme notes that almost 350 million people are facing acute food insecurity. Partially, this is driven, in the long-term, by climate change. Changing precipitation patterns and rising temperatures hurt crop yields and cause agricultural degradation more broadly. Further, hotter temperatures have led to growing ocean acidification, which damages coral reefs and fisheries that are critical to healthy ocean systems and basic, nutritional diets.
The Russian war in Ukraine War is playing its part as well by disrupting food production, transport, processing, and consumption. Together, Russia and Ukraine supply 30 percent of the world’s wheat, 20 percent of maize, and 70 percent of sunflower supplies. And both are major supplies of fertilizers across the world. The result is that as materials used for food exports become scarce and demand remains the same or increases, prices have soared.
This has a disproportionate effect on Caribbean countries, who are import-dependent on food supplies and fertilizers. In Guyana, for example, as of March 2022, food prices have risen by almost 14 percent according to the Food and Agricultural Organization. And as an entire region, an estimated 4.1 million people have become food insecure.
What can be Guyana’s role?
Here, Guyana is well positioned and poised to play a leading role. With food insecurity growing worse each day, Guyana is playing an active role in moving forward the 25 by 25 plan, which looks to decrease CARICOM’s food import bill by 25 percent by 2025. As part of these efforts, Guyana has secured the partnership and support of the United States by co-chairing the US-Caribbean Food Security Action Committee. But while efforts to address regional food security are needed, Caribbean economies will always, in some way, be dependent on the ebbs and flows of global changes.
To begin with, Guyana should consider building a global coalition of other regions or countries facing similar challenges. Many of these countries across the Caribbean, Africa and Asia are smaller states and simply do not have the same growing global presence as Guyana. In the international system, small states have a limited influence and ability, largely unable to unilaterally shape global decision-making. Mostly, where small states are able to have influence, it is usually in a collective manner, with one or a set of countries leading the charge on a specific issue. This has been apparent in the fight to address the effects of climate change, with many Caribbean countries banding together to assert their positions at the United Nations and elsewhere. Therefore, if these countries are going to see any sort of relief, they need to do so collectively. Here, Guyana can be a coordinator among these countries.
This global coalition, led by Guyana, can play two key roles. First, it can be an added voice that can call for more concessional and blended financing for vulnerable countries that need to invest in new technologies that can help withstand weather events and changes that disrupt food production. Second, the coalition can help aggregate intellectual, financial, and technological resources among its membership. Food production and distribution does not happen in a silo. There are many parts to the process that are interlinked, from making fertilizer to growing agricultural crops to packaging and distribution. Having a coalition of countries that are facing similar challenges but are also strong in different aspects of the food process can strengthen food supply chains and create resilience for the next global crisis.
The formation of such a group and Guyana taking a leading role could also have significant benefits for the country’s global standing. Right now, Guyana’s economic growth is unprecedented, and it is no secret that it is driven primarily by the oil and gas economy. While Guyana has invested in other industries, the country still runs the risk of becoming known only for its energy resources, which can lead other countries or companies to view Guyana in a one-dimensional way. Leading the charge globally on food security can change or mitigate these perceptions, creating a more multi-dimensional leadership role for Guyana outside of the energy space.
Further, having a leadership role in this space can bring added visibility to Guyana’s own plans to re-energize its agricultural sector. To avoid the resource curse, Guyana will need to invest and develop sectors outside of oil and gas. Here, Guyana’s sugar and rice industry can come into greater focus. But for these sectors to grow, especially in a sustainable manner and for the long-term, there will need to be increased foreign investment and access to low-cost technologies for farmers. Agricultural expos across the Caribbean have proved effective in drawing more attention and investment, but the growth of this sector needs to try and keep pace with the oil and gas economy to ensure that Guyana’s overall economic development is holistic. There will not be a better platform to do this than taking a global approach.
Each year, COP promises to be the important one to date given the worsening impact of climate change. However, most often, it tends to end with many countries left wanting. Policy discussions happen but action rarely follows. This can change with Guyana. No country has more potential or has more eyes on it than Guyana right now. COP27 can be a turning point for Guyana.
Wazim Mowla is a Guyanese American based in Washington DC. He is the Assistant Director of the Caribbean Initiative at the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center and an Associate of ACE Consultancy.
