Posted on June, 25 2025

Climate change is no longer a distant threat—it’s a daily reality for millions of people around the world. And nowhere is this more evident than in the systems that feed us.

Farmers and fishers are on the frontlines of a crisis they did not create. As the climate shifts, so too must our approach to food. It’s time to put food and agricultural systems at the centre of climate adaptation.

The Climate Crisis Is a Food Crisis

Climate change is already disrupting food and agricultural systems. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall and extreme weather events are reducing crop yields, degrading soil, and increasing the spread of pests and diseases. Livestock and aquaculture are also under pressure, with heat stress, water scarcity, and shifting ecosystems threatening productivity and food security.

Smallholder farmers are especially vulnerable. Many lack access to the resources, infrastructure and support needed to adapt. In Africa alone, agricultural yields could drop by over 30% by 2050, while climate-driven disasters have already cost the world $3.8 trillion in agricultural losses over the past 30 years.

Food and agricultural systems are responsible for around one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet they receive less than 4% of climate finance. This mismatch must be addressed if we are to meet global climate and biodiversity goals.

What Needs to Happen—And What’s Missing

Despite the urgency, adaptation in food and agricultural systems remains underfunded and underprioritized. The 2023 UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience offers a much-needed structure for global adaptation action. But frameworks alone won’t deliver change—implementation is what counts.

WWF has published a new report, Advancing on the Global Goal for Adaptation through Food and agricultural systems Transformation, to explore what can be done to accelerate implementation and ensure food and agricultural systems are central to climate adaptation efforts.

Here’s what’s needed:

• Investment in nature-positive farming: Agroecology, agroforestry and sustainable land management can build resilience while restoring ecosystems.
• Empowering local communities: Adaptation must be inclusive. Indigenous knowledge, women’s leadership and youth innovation are essential.
• Strengthening food governance: Secure land rights, access to finance and equitable policies are the foundation of resilient food and agricultural systems.
• Building resilient supply chains: Infrastructure for storage, transport and early warning systems can reduce food loss and improve access.
• Closing the finance gap: Adaptation funding must increase—especially for smallholders and community-led initiatives.

Download  Advancing on the Global Goal for Adaptation through Food and agricultural systems Transformation

Stories of Hope: Local Adaptation in Action

Although food and agricultural systems receive a fraction of the attention and investment they need, there are many examples of how solutions can be successfully implemented. It is critical that we learn from these successes, scale them and replicate the approaches in other places with similar contexts.

Philippines: Watershed Management for Sugarcane Resilience

In Negros Occidental, sugarcane farmers are restoring degraded watersheds to adapt to drought and declining yields. Through integrated watershed management, they’re planting native trees, building water retention systems and improving soil health. These efforts have increased water availability, reduced erosion and enhanced biodiversity.

The initiative also promotes community-led governance and collaboration between local authorities, NGOs, and farmers. By aligning traditional practices with ecosystem restoration, the project is helping farmers secure their livelihoods while protecting the landscape that sustains them.

Viet Nam: Rice–Shrimp Farming in the Mekong Delta

In the face of rising salinity and unpredictable rainfall, farmers in the Mekong Delta are turning to integrated rice–shrimp farming. This system alternates rice cultivation with shrimp aquaculture, allowing farmers to adapt to saline conditions while diversifying their income.

The approach reduces chemical inputs, improves soil health and enhances resilience to climate shocks. It also supports food security and nutrition by maintaining year-round production. With support from local governments and research institutions, farmers are receiving training and technical assistance to scale this model across the region.

Kenya: Solar-Powered Cold Storage for Fishing Communities

Rising temperatures and less predictable weather patterns can lead to increased food loss, especially where cold storage and supply chain infrastructure is lacking. In Kenya’s Lake Victoria region, fishing communities are using solar-powered coolers to reduce post-harvest losses and improve food safety. These cold rooms allow fishers to preserve their catch for longer, increasing incomes and reducing waste.

The project also strengthens local value chains by improving access to markets and reducing reliance on diesel-powered refrigeration. By integrating clean energy with climate adaptation, the initiative is helping build a more sustainable and resilient blue economy—one that supports both people and the planet.

A Call to Action

The climate crisis is reshaping our food and agricultural systems. But it also offers an opportunity to transform them—for people, nature and planet.

We know what works. Now we need the political will, financial support, and collective action to scale it. The upcoming COP30 in Belém, Brazil, later this year is a critical moment. Policymakers, national leaders, businesses and investors must use this gathering to step up and commit to transformative action on food and agricultural systems adaptation. It’s time to move from frameworks to implementation—and ensure that food and agriculture are at the heart of global climate resilience.

Because when farmers and fishers thrive, so does the planet.


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