Al Gore, environmentalist and former U.S. vice president, will give the opening keynote address at the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate Summit this May in Washington, D.C. File photo by Matthew Healey/ UPI | License Photo
Feb. 14 (UPI) — Former Vice President Al Gore will open the first Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate Summit this May in Washington, D.C., to increase collaboration and investment for climate-smart agriculture and food systems.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that Gore, also known for his environmental work and Oscar-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth, will be the opening keynote speaker at the premier summit for AIM for Climate, which is scheduled to run from May 8 to 10.
“We are honored to have former Vice President Al Gore join us in Washington this May to kick off the AIM for Climate Summit,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement.
“He has been on the forefront of the climate crisis for more than 40 years and is a leader in the international response to combating climate change,” Vilsack said. “His participation in the summit underscores the critical role agriculture innovation plays in addressing this global issue.”
AIM for Climate, which is an initiative co-led by the United Arab Emirates and the United States, was launched in 2021 at COP26 to find global solutions to new agriculture issues amid climate change.
“The climate crisis threatens to disrupt food systems around the globe, exacerbate food insecurity and negatively impact farmers’ livelihoods,” Vilsack said.
“We must invest in innovative, science-based solutions to help agriculture mitigate and adapt to climate change — and that’s what AIM for Climate is all about.”
One effect of climate change on agriculture is the loss of pollinating insects. A study last year found climate change and agriculture are threatening insect biodiversity and in some areas have cut insect populations in half.
The study, published in the scientific journal Nature, blamed the significant drop in insect populations around the world on rising temperatures and changes in the way land is used.
AIM for Climate hopes to use the summit to build collaborations and share knowledge on solutions leading up to COP28, which begins Nov. 30.
Since AIM for Climate was launched in 2021, the initiative has built more than 275 partners worldwide, raised more than $8 billion in investments and started 30 innovation sprints or self-financed investments to expedite climate-agriculture solutions.
AIM for Climate announced it would accept new proposals for innovation sprints through the end of the month, to be announced at the summit in May.
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Blythe Geddes