AGRA has urged world leaders attending COP30 to move beyond promises and deliver concrete, farmer-centered climate actions that prioritize soil health, youth empowerment, and resilient food systems across Africa.
During high-level engagements in Belém, AGRA called on governments and development partners to translate climate commitments into practical financing and policy solutions that strengthen smallholder resilience, expand employment opportunities for young people, and drive inclusive growth across the continent’s food economies.
“Africa’s farmers are not waiting for the future; they are shaping it,” said Alice Ruhweza, President of AGRA. “A farmer-first climate breakthrough means turning promises into progress, converting finance into resilience, and transforming ambition into action—where it matters most—on farms.”
AGRA emphasized that COP30 represents a pivotal moment to elevate agriculture and food systems within the global resilience agenda.
The organization is showcasing evidence-backed pathways for scaling impact, including coherent policy frameworks, accessible and appropriate financing, strong agricultural markets, and investments in soil health—while ensuring that youth and women remain central to the transformation of Africa’s agriculture sector.
The call aligns strongly with the newly endorsed Belém Declaration on Hunger, Poverty, and Human-Centered Climate Action, supported by 43 countries and the European Union.
The declaration highlights the inseparable link between climate action and social justice, urging a shift in climate finance toward populations most exposed to climate shocks. It also underscores the importance of climate-responsive social protection, crop insurance for smallholders, and sustainable livelihood programs.
AGRA welcomed the declaration, stressing that small-scale producers must be recognized not only as vulnerable to climate impacts, but as essential drivers of resilience and innovation.
“Resilience is built when the right policies, finance, and technical solutions meet at the farm level,” said Tilahun Amede, AGRA’s Director for Sustainable Farming, Climate Adaptation and Resilience.
“At COP30, we aim to demonstrate how soil health, water management, inclusive financing and robust value chains can translate climate ambition into real gains for farmers—both now and in the long term.”
The 2025 UNEP Adaptation Gap Report warns that developing countries face an adaptation financing shortfall of USD 284–339 billion annually, with current funding covering barely 10 percent of that need. AGRA is calling for a fundamental shift to direct more climate finance to farmers and rural enterprises—the engines of Africa’s food and employment systems.
The farmer-first approach echoed by AGRA aligns with the demands of African climate negotiators, who have repeatedly called for adaptation efforts that deliver tangible on-the-ground benefits.
AGRA is working with governments to streamline approval processes for climate-resilient seed, promote risk-sharing tools to attract private investment, and ensure donor support aligns with national priorities rather than short-lived pilot projects.
