US Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack has said a US-UAE plan to fight hunger by driving research into new farming techniques was growing fast and would likely be launched at key climate talks in Glasgow starting next month.

According to US Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack, a US-UAE initiative to combat hunger by promoting research into new farming practises is gaining traction and will likely be unveiled during next month's important climate talks in Glasgow.

Since it was launched at US President Joe Biden's climate summit in April, Mr Vilsack said the number of countries collaborating in the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate has tripled to 18, and research priorities are being established.

The “AIM for Climate” effort, once operational, would promote research into ideas to increase agricultural productivity and feed the world's 800 million hungry people while reducing carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases emissions.

Mr Vilsack explained, “The idea here is to try to get as many countries committed to accelerating, co-ordinating, and sharing research so that we can get the technologies and techniques into the field that will ultimately allow us to cut the emissions associated with agriculture.”

He predicted that the initiative would be “formally launched” during the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow, which begins on October 31 and aims to spur aggressive global climate action — and the money to pay for it — as global warming continues to spiral out of control.

Mr. Vilsack called for greater study into gene editing, which aims to change the DNA of plants and animals to raise harvests, as well as measures to expand water supplies and irrigate crops in the face of droughts that are becoming more common as the world heats.

“We are aware of the research that is required to hasten the transition to more sustainable production. Mr Vilsack stated, "We know there are climate-smart technology and approaches that need to be explored."

Mr. Vilsack spoke at the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York, where officials gathered for an online food conference focused at reforming agricultural systems to feed more people while inflicting less harm to the environment.

Agriculture executives should convert to "nature-based solutions," according to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who claims that one third of all greenhouse gases are released by the world's farming and distribution systems.

During the talks, the United States announced a multi-year investment of more than $10 billion to encourage a transformation of food systems by reducing food waste, enhancing infrastructure, and other measures.

Amina Mohammed, the UN's deputy secretary-general, said that research programmes like AIM for Climate would assist if ideas made it out of the lab and into the hands of people in developing countries more frequently.

Ms Mohammed stated, "There is an excess of existing research that needs to be raised and carried to the country level." “At the local level, we need to create science and research capabilities as well.”

The concept was presented in April at Vice President and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid's climate summit, which focused on bringing the globe back on track to keep global temperature rise under control.