Launch of Initiative to Maximize Carbon Credit Benefits to Support Farmers

As part of its participation in the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP16), the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development organized a special session to present its initiative aimed at enhancing the benefits of carbon credits as an additional income source for farmers, in the presence of Professor Ibrahim Adam Ahmed Al-Dukhiri, Director-General of the organization.

The initiative aims to highlight the importance of carbon credits as an effective tool in global efforts to combat climate change, by reducing or removing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. The initiative also provides small farmers with the opportunity to participate in carbon credit markets, which will provide them with additional income, improve their financial stability, and encourage them to adopt climate-smart agricultural practices that contribute to long-term environmental and economic sustainability.

During the session, the organization discussed the concept of carbon credits, how they work, and their role in achieving sustainability in the agricultural sector. It also reviewed the challenges and opportunities related to activating this mechanism in Arab countries. The importance of regional coordination to create a unified framework to minimize negative impacts was also emphasized.

The session further discussed the expected roles of the organization and its partners, including building farmers’ capacity through training in sustainable agricultural practices, raising awareness about the importance of the initiative, simplifying procedures and policies to support small farmers, and connecting them to global markets, as well as providing incentives for participating farmers.

The session highlighted the necessity of involving local communities, enhancing governance, and building institutional capacities to manage natural resources, in addition to encouraging scientific research and knowledge exchange to deepen understanding of carbon credits and their impact on farmers’ livelihoods.

At the end of the session, Professor Al-Dukhiri called on all partners to cooperate with the organization to implement this initiative on the ground, noting that many international and regional organizations and bodies have welcomed this collaboration. Among the main partners in implementing the initiative are the General Secretariat of the Arab League, the Arab Gulf Programme for Development, the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), and the National Center for Research and Development of Sustainable Agriculture in Saudi Arabia (Sustaining).