COP30 Brazil: AGRA Rallies the World to Put Farmers and Youth at the Heart of Climate Action
Posted by EDITORIAL
At COP30 in Brazil, AGRA is calling for a farmer-first climate breakthrough that prioritizes African smallholders, soil health, and youth empowerment to drive climate resilience and food security across the continent.
Belem Brazil
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Key Highlights:
At COP30 in Belem, Brazil, AGRA is making a bold call for a “farmer-first” climate breakthrough that places African smallholders, youth, and soils at the center of global climate action. The organization is urging governments and partners to move from rhetoric to results by channeling climate finance directly to farmers and rural enterprises, strengthening soil health, and empowering young people to lead Africa’s agricultural transformation. Through its engagements at COP30, AGRA seeks to turn climate ambition into tangible resilience across Africa’s food systems.
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As the UN Climate Conference (COP30) unfolds in Belem, Brazil — dubbed the “Implementation COP” and the “COP of Truth” — AGRA has emerged as a leading African voice pushing for a practical, farmer-first approach to global climate action. The organization is urging world leaders to translate pledges into concrete financial and policy actions that strengthen the resilience of Africa’s smallholder farmers, create jobs for youth, and foster sustainable 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.”
For AGRA, COP30 represents a pivotal opportunity to bridge the gap between climate commitments and real impact. The organization’s agenda in Belém is centered on scaling proven solutions — from soil health restoration and water management to inclusive financing and functioning agricultural markets. With women and youth at the forefront, AGRA aims to redefine resilience through agriculture, aligning with the newly endorsed Belem Declaration on Hunger, Poverty, and Human-Centered Climate Action, which calls for equitable climate finance and social protection for vulnerable populations.
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Dr. Tilahun Amede, AGRA’s Director for Sustainable Farming, Climate Adaptation, and Resilience, emphasized the urgency of translating ambition into tangible change.
“Resilience is built when the right policies, finance, and technical solutions meet at the farm level,” he noted.
“At COP30, we want to show how soil health, water management, and stronger value chains can turn climate ambition into practical results for farmers.”
The UNEP Adaptation Gap Report 2025 paints a stark picture: developing nations face an annual funding shortfall of USD 284–339 billion for adaptation, with current flows covering barely a tenth of that need. AGRA argues that climate finance must flow directly to those who power food systems — smallholder farmers and rural enterprises. Through collaborations with governments, AGRA is championing reforms that make it easier to scale climate-resilient seeds, establish risk-sharing mechanisms, and align donor programs with long-term national priorities.
Soil health remains at the core of AGRA’s message. The Africa Food Systems Report 2025 reveals that nearly 65% of Africa’s productive land is degraded, undermining food security and resilience. AGRA is calling for urgent investments in soil restoration, diversified cropping, and improved nutrient management through both organic and mineral sources. It is also pushing for advanced data systems to track soil health and productivity, ensuring that national policies are informed by evidence and guided by sustainability.
Equally central is AGRA’s youth agenda, which focuses on creating meaningful opportunities for young Africans within the agricultural value chain — from processing and logistics to input distribution and agri-enterprise development. The organization is calling for measurable progress in youth employment indicators and stronger financing pathways that help young agri-entrepreneurs thrive.
Drawing on experience from 15 African countries, AGRA argues that a “delivery-first” model; where finance is tied to measurable, evidence-based actions — can accelerate national progress on climate and food security goals.
“The true success of COP30,” AGRA stresses,
“will be measured not by declarations made in conference halls, but by the resilience built in farmers’ fields.”
At the Growing Innovations Showcase, co-hosted by the Gates Foundation, Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture, Embrapa, CGIAR, and other partners, AGRA is spotlighting climate-smart innovations developed for and by farmers. From affordable soil sensors to youth-led agri-tech enterprises, these innovations demonstrate that the solutions to the climate crisis are already sprouting across Africa’s fields — they simply need to be scaled.
As COP30 pushes forward, AGRA’s message is clear: Africa’s farmers are not passive recipients of aid but active architects of a resilient future. By empowering youth, restoring soils, and ensuring that climate finance reaches the farm gate, AGRA believes the continent can lead a global shift toward equitable, sustainable, and farmer-centered climate action.
