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.
Food systems are responsible for one third of global greenhouse gas emissions and are the leading driver of land degradation and biodiversity loss.
At the same time, over 700 million people face hunger and more than 3 billion cannot afford a healthy diet. One third of all food produced is lost or wasted before it reaches a plate. Transforming how people grow, distribute, and consume food is essential to delivering the Paris Agreement and protecting the world's most vulnerable communities. Axis 3 brings together governments, farmers, Indigenous communities, businesses, and financiers to restore degraded land, scale regenerative agriculture, cut food loss and waste, and build food systems that are resilient to climate shocks. Done right, this transformation could unlock US$4.5 trillion in new business opportunities every year by 2030.
Key Objectives:
Restore degraded lands and scale sustainable agriculture by strengthening monitoring, integrating local knowledge, building capacity, and mobilizing investment in land restoration, regenerative production approaches, healthy soils, sustainable livestock, and resilient livelihoods.
Build resilient, adaptive, and sustainable food systems by supporting smallholder and family farmers, reducing food loss and waste, promoting aquatic food solutions, and building diversified, resilient supply chains, with supportive policy, regulations, and incentives to scale action faster.
Ensure equitable access to food and nutrition security for all through convergence of policies, affordability programs, resilient social protection frameworks safeguarding vulnerable groups, and transitioning to more diversified protein sources and nutritious, sustainable, locally-appropriate diets in line with global goals and national contexts.
Progress
300 companies
now follow SBTi’s best practices on food, land use and agriculture
$4.5 trillion
in new business opportunities annually unlockable by 2030 through food systems transformation
*Data refers to Global Socioeconomic Indicators listed on the 2025 Yearbook of Global Climate Action and not to Plans to Accelerate Solution (PAS) progress. For more information read the 2025 Yearbook of Global Climate Action.
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.
Related Campaigns & Breakthroughs
Net Zero Activation Group
Climate leadership is shifting from pledges to implementation as companies, organisations, cities and civil society now focus on building the net zero economy of the future.
Learn More Net Zero Activation Group
Race to Resilience
Race to Resilience has completed its first full delivery cycle, from ambition to implementation, and proven that people-centred resilience can be measured, delivered, and scaled.
Learn More Race to Resilience
2030 Breakthroughs
A “breakthrough” is a moment that marks a significant advance in the transformation of an economic sector or natural system.
Learn More Breakthroughs
Sharm El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda
Adaptation outcomes in the Sharm el-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda helped protect lives, livelihoods, and ecosystems.
Learn More Sharm El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda
Climate Proofing SMEs
Empowering and enabling Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to take ambitious climate action.
Learn More Climate-Proofing SMEsExplore the Granary of Solutions
Explore Granary of SolutionsThe Granary of Solutions presents concrete examples of climate action – from deploying renewable energy, to modernizing power grids, to improving industrial efficiency. Examples show how sustainable transport networks, low-emission technologies, and smart infrastructure reduce greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining reliable energy and industrial production at city and national scales.
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.
Related Resources
11 November 2025 2025 Yearbook of Global Climate Action
The Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2025 reveals a decisive shift from promises to delivery
Showing how cities, regions, businesses, investors and communities are driving climate action implementation at scale, across each of the axes of the Action Agenda. The Yearbook also highlights that significant gaps persist, underscoring the need to accelerate implementation in line with the Global Stocktake – the UN’s official report card on climate progress.
19 November 2024 3. Transforming Agriculture and Food Systems Food Systems Call to Action: Real-World Action and Progress in Transforming Food Systems for People, Nature and Climate
This report highlights actions, from grassroots initiatives to corporate commitments, aimed at advancing sustainable, regenerative, and equitable food systems.
This report highlights actions, from grassroots initiatives to corporate commitments, aimed at advancing sustainable, regenerative, and equitable food systems. It also spotlights the resource gaps and barriers remain, underscoring the need for coordinated efforts tailored to local and national contexts to ensure a just transition.
11 November 2024 3. Transforming Agriculture and Food Systems The great enabler: a collection of insurance solutions powering $10 trillion of climate finance
This report shows that by derisking, the insurance industry can accelerate transition finance to flow at the speed and scale that we need, lowering the cost of clean technologies and scaling their deployment in the process.
This report shows that by derisking, the insurance industry can accelerate transition finance to flow at the speed and scale that we need, lowering the cost of clean technologies and scaling their deployment in the process. It’s brought to you by Howden, BCG and the High-Level Champions.
03 November 2025 6. Unleashing Enablers and Accelerators including on Financing, Technology and Capacity-Building Finance Sector Deforestation Action (FSDA) Progress Report 2025
The Finance Sector Deforestation Action (FSDA) Progress Report, highlights the progress made by FSDA signatories with the support of the initiative.
11 November 2024 5. Fostering Human & Social Development Sharm El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda Implementation Report 2024
This report offers detailed progress updates on each Sharm Adaptation Agenda system and enabler, highlighting advancements made towards two to four key priority outcomes per system alongside the corresponding signals of change.
This report offers detailed progress updates on each Sharm Adaptation Agenda system and enabler, highlighting advancements made towards two to four key priority outcomes per system alongside the corresponding signals of change. It also identifies areas where further action is needed for achieving the objectives outlined in the UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience under the Global Goal on Adaptation.
