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Agrifood ambitions in developing nations hampered by severe funding shortfalls: COP30 Report
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Saturday, 22 November, 2025, 12 : 00 PM [IST]
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Belem, Brazil
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At the COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil, a pivotal new report from the FAO and UNDP has raised red flags about the fragile state of agrifood adaptation plans in developing countries. The analysis, which reviewed National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) from 64 nations, reveals a disturbing gap between ambition and action largely due to limited funding and capacity.
The report, titled “Agrifood Systems in National Adaptation Plans: An Analysis,” shows that while nearly all countries recognize the urgent need to adapt crop, livestock, fisheries, forestry, and aquaculture systems to the impacts of climate change, they are struggling to translate those plans into real-world action.
According to the findings, agrifood adaptation requires more than half of the total finance needed by these countries — yet receives only 20% of adaptation funding, amounting to a mere 1% of all climate finance globally.
Even more concerning is the mismatch between proposed measures and actual climate risks. Only 16% of agrifood adaptation actions directly address identified threats, and less than 14% focus on vulnerable groups like smallholder farmers, Indigenous Peoples, women, and youth.
Many NAPs also lack rigorous planning tools: just one-third include climate risk and vulnerability assessments, and fewer than half use robust methodologies to prioritize adaptation investments.
Countries themselves report serious barriers to putting these plans into motion. Nearly half cite weak technical capacity, fragmented coordination, inadequate finance, and difficulties in attracting private sector involvement.
The report also delivers a stark warning on the growing toll of loss and damage: almost 50% of countries report climate-related losses in agrifood systems — more than any other sector.
FAO is pushing back, announcing that it will continue helping nations build capacity through its SCALA initiative, which provides technical expertise, climate risk modeling, and tools for mobilizing climate finance.
At COP30, this report serves as a rallying call: the intent is there, but without closing the finance and capacity gap, the world may not be able to safeguard food security or protect those most at risk.
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