3. Transforming Agriculture and Food Systems
Agriculture and food systems are central to global food and economic security. This axis drives solutions to mitigating and adapting to climate impacts through regenerative production and land restoration, building resilient, adaptive food systems, and increasing equitable access to healthy, sustainable, locally-appropriate diets for all.
Be part of the implementation
Take action where your operations and value chain have the greatest climate-related risks. Drive change by seizing new opportunities across energy, nature, agriculture, cities, human development, finance.
Through Axis 3: Agriculture and Food Systems, businesses can fundamentally transform how we feed the world by scaling regenerative agriculture that heals the land, slashing value-chain methane emissions, and dismantling the systemic inefficiencies of food waste. Key actions businesses can take include:
Scale regenerative agriculture to increase productivity while reducing emissions and land degradation by joining Business 4 Land, a coalition of leading businesses managing land responsibly, Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU), transforming food systems to unlock a net-zero, nature-positive world, Action Agenda on Regenerative Landscapes (AARL), scaling regenerative practices at landscape level.
Reduce food waste to improve efficiency and minimize costs The Global FoodBanking Network, WRAP’s Food PACT Network, and ReFed.
Reduce methane and fertilizer-related emissions across agricultural value chains through the Agriculture Breakthrough and the Dairy Methane Action Alliance.
Case Studies
Brazilian National School Meals Programme (PNAE)
Brazil’s PNAE ensures daily meals for all public school students, invests 30–45% of funds in family farming, and promotes nutrition, local economies, and social oversight nationwide.
SCALA Programme in Costa Rica: Accelerating Climate Action through Sustainable Land Management and Value Chain Transformation
SCALA Costa Rica pilots soil carbon PES, deforestation-free beef, and MRV upgrades, boosting resilience, farmer inclusion, and finance mobilization for sustainable coffee and livestock value chains.
Climate Smart Shrimp
Climate Smart Shrimp restores mangroves, boosts shrimp yields, and improves livelihoods, proving aquaculture can deliver climate resilience, carbon storage, and sustainable seafood markets.
The opportunities and challenges of seaweed farming in Timor-Leste
Seaweed farming in Timor-Leste supports climate adaptation, sustainable livelihoods, and women’s empowerment, while facing production and market challenges within global value chains.
Climate Adaptation Through Community Participation in Timor-Leste
FAO and WorldFish’s IkanAdapt project helps Timor-Leste communities adapt to climate change by strengthening aquatic livelihoods through participatory meetings and targeted interventions.
Adapting fisheries and aquaculture to climate change
FAO supports fisheries and aquaculture resilience against climate change through training, adaptive management, and policies in Belize, Chile, and the Philippines to protect livelihoods and ecosystems.
Saving mangroves with sustainable management
FAO supports sustainable mangrove management in Costa Rica, Peru, and Senegal, restoring ecosystems, empowering communities, and safeguarding biodiversity and livelihoods amid climate challenges.
FAO helps Malawian farmers diversify into aquaculture to cope with climate change
The FiRM project in Malawi supports climate resilience through integrated aquaculture and agriculture, helping farmers in Mangochi district diversify livelihoods and reduce pressure on overfished waters.
Plans to Accelerate Solutions
Concise, collective action-oriented plans developed by multiple initiatives that outline key steps to scale a specific high-impact solution based on practical levers for implementation.
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