Esther Penunia, a Filipino farmer and the leader of the Asian Farmers Association, is among the many voices calling attention to the plight of small-scale farmers as the COP29 climate summit unfolds. From her home country devastated by unrelenting heatwaves, floods, and typhoons this year, Penunia carries firsthand accounts of climate devastation that have left farmlands submerged and crops destroyed.
“Climate change is real,” Penunia declared during a session at the United Nations climate talks. “It’s affecting our crops, our yields, and therefore our incomes. Everyone is really getting hurt.”
Her plea reflects the escalating urgency faced by farmers worldwide, who are struggling to adapt to increasingly erratic weather patterns. As a representative of small family farmers, Penunia is pushing for greater access to climate finance, emphasizing that such support is essential for enabling farmers to cope with climate challenges while safeguarding global food security.
Small family farms, like those represented by Penunia, are responsible for over a third of the world’s food supply and as much as 80% in regions such as Asia and Africa. Yet they remain disproportionately vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Despite their pivotal role in feeding the world, small-scale farmers have received only a fraction of climate financing.
An analysis by Climate Focus revealed that just 14% of the $9.1 billion allocated for international public climate finance in agriculture and land use goes toward initiatives most relevant to small-scale farmers. Even more striking, less than 3% of all public climate finance is directed toward food systems — a critical sector that accounts for roughly one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Sara Farley, vice president of the global food portfolio at the Rockefeller Foundation, underscored the gap. “The dollars aren’t big enough; the dollars aren’t catalytic enough,” she said. “Food is not an elective add-on for climate, future-proofing our planet. It is a requisite.”
While COP28 in Dubai marked a turning point by highlighting food systems as a key area of focus, this year’s summit in Baku has taken a more subdued approach. Critics have noted the summit’s missed opportunities, including a lack of sustainable food options, such as mislabeled meat dishes marked with vegetarian symbols.
During the Food, Agriculture, and Water Day at COP29, nations are expected to pledge new methane reduction targets from organic waste, including food waste. Additionally, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is set to release the second installment of its roadmap for achieving net-zero emissions in food systems.
The COP29 presidency has also proposed the Harmoniya Climate Initiative for Farmers, aimed at fostering collaboration and increasing financial support for agriculture. However, many experts remain skeptical of such initiatives, noting that previous COP presidencies have made similar promises with limited tangible results.
“Instead of spending diplomatic efforts each year creating a new initiative which makes everyone look good, the focus needs to shift to getting money, technology, and capacity to farmers,” said Dhanush Dinesh, founder of Clim-Eat, an organization focused on food systems solutions. “Ultimately, emissions from food systems are not decreasing, and the resilience of farmers at the frontline is also not improving.”
As discussions at COP29 continue, attention is already shifting to Brazil, the host of next year’s COP30 in Belém. Brazil, a global agricultural powerhouse and home to the Amazon rainforest, offers a unique opportunity to address key aspects of food systems, including deforestation, methane emissions from livestock, and fertilizer-driven nitrogen pollution.
“We’re expecting a very kind of multidimensional COP that really embraces not only food, but the multiple dimensions of food from deforestation, land conversion, the social dimensions,” Farley said.
With Brazil’s central role in agriculture and climate, experts and advocates alike are anticipating a more comprehensive approach to integrating food systems into the climate agenda.
For advocates like Penunia, the path forward requires prioritizing farmers’ needs and ensuring that climate policies are actionable and inclusive. “We need real investment in small-scale farmers,” Penunia emphasized. “We’re not asking for charity. We’re asking for the support to adapt and thrive in the face of these challenges.”
Small farmers hold the potential to drive both climate resilience and sustainability. From adopting climate-smart agricultural practices to restoring degraded lands, they can be pivotal in reducing emissions and enhancing food security. However, their ability to do so hinges on meaningful support, including financial assistance, access to technology, and capacity-building programs.
The struggles of small-scale farmers are not confined to individual regions; they echo across the globe. In Africa, for example, farmers are grappling with prolonged droughts that have decimated crops and exacerbated food insecurity. In Asia, rising sea levels threaten rice paddies, while extreme weather events devastate yields.
Without adequate investment in agriculture, the broader goals of climate resilience and global food security remain elusive. The stakes are particularly high given that agriculture contributes significantly to global emissions while also being one of the most vulnerable sectors to climate impacts.
“Agriculture is both a culprit and a casualty of climate change,” said Dinesh. “But it can also be a solution.”
For real progress, experts argue that systemic change is necessary, starting with shifting global priorities to align with the urgent needs of farmers.
- Redirecting Climate Finance: Increasing the share of public climate funds allocated to food systems and small-scale farmers.
- Technology Transfer: Providing access to tools and practices that help farmers adapt to climate impacts, such as drought-resistant seeds or efficient irrigation systems.
- Capacity Building: Training and empowering farmers to adopt sustainable practices and navigate the challenges posed by climate change.
- Policy Alignment: Ensuring that national and international policies prioritize food security and farmer resilience.
- “Farmers need to be at the heart of climate action,” Penunia said. “Without them, we can’t achieve the sustainable future we’re all striving for.”
