AXIS 3

Transforming Agriculture and Food Systems

OBJECTIVE 8

Land restoration and sustainable agriculture

OBJECTIVE 9

More resilient, adaptive, sustainable and circular food systems

OBJECTIVE 10

Equitable access to adequate nutrition and safeguarding food security for all

AXIS 3

At a glance

Across Axis 3, some sources of farm emissions are becoming less intensive and food security is improving, but food loss is not.

Global progress

  • Emissions intensity declined for enteric fermentation and rice cultivation between 2022 and 2023, while ruminant meat productivity rose from 30 to 31 kg per hectare between 2022 and 2024
  • Food security is improving: undernourishment fell from 9.1 to 7.8 per cent between 2023 and 2025, and the share of people unable to afford a healthy diet fell from 37.4 to 32.7 per cent between 2021 and 2025

Remaining gaps

  • Emissions intensity for manure management increased between 2022 and 2023 and held flat for soil fertilization
  • Food loss held at 13 per cent of production between 2021 and 2023
  • There are currently no global indicators tracking the resilience of food systems to climate shocks or the finance reaching small-scale farmers

CCIs reporting progress under NAZCA

Sixteen of the 83 Cooperative Climate Initiatives (CCIs) that reported progress to NAZCA under the common reporting framework identify their climate-related goals as contributing to Axis 3. Implementation of projects is the leading CCI function, with the focus equally distributed among ‘adaptation’, ‘capacity building’, ‘finance’, ‘mitigation’, and ‘resilience’. Generation of knowledge products is the most frequently reported action type.

Plans to Accelerate Solutions

  • Total PAS) under this axis: 16, covering 3 objectives
  • Number of PAS sharing progress in the October 2026 reporting round: 13

COP 31 priorities

The priority focus is on food security and developing sustainable agricultural systems, which are central to sustaining the livelihoods of billions

AXIS 3 / SECTION I

Global Climate Action in 2026 - Insights from the UNFCCC Climate Weeks

The Global Climate Action Agenda (GCAA) presents opportunities to advance and accelerate implementation at scale. It is in that spirit that Climate Weeks in Yeosu, Republic of Korea (CW3, held in April) and Baku, Azerbaijan (CW4, September), brought together a broad range of stakeholders – including national delegations, subnational governments and non‑Party stakeholders (NPS) – with a strong focus on showcasing practical climate solutions, including those linked to transforming agriculture and food systems.

Examples shared during the climate weeks illustrated how adaptation action is increasingly being translated into concrete solutions that improve the resilience of food systems. In Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Basin, for instance, climate-smart agriculture initiatives are helping smallholder farmers respond to water stress while supporting ecosystem preservation and food security.

The Fifth dialogue under the just transition work programme, held in Yeosu, focused on just transition pathways for holistic approaches to food security, including on agriculture and ocean-based action. Discussions during the event highlighted experiences relating to decent work, sustainable livelihoods, social protection systems, participatory approaches and skills development, including for smallholder farmers, artisanal fishers, Indigenous Peoples, local communities and workers in informal economies. Participants also exchanged views on gender-responsive and locally led approaches, traditional and Indigenous knowledge, and the role of finance, technology development and transfer, capacity-building and international cooperation in supporting equitable and resilient just transition pathways in the context of food security.

The Implementation Forums organized during CW3 and CW4 were focused on supporting efforts to accelerate climate action by creating a dedicated space where Parties and NPS could meet on equal footing to exchange practical solutions, align priorities, and collectively discuss how to move from ambition to implementation at scale. Under Axis 3, two of the lead high-impact, scalable solutions emerging from the Implementation Labs and Impact Dialogues are described below:

CW3

Regenerative Agroecology by Small‑Scale Farmers

Across Axis 3, the Asian Farmers Association highlighted farmer‑led regenerative practices already delivering adaptation, mitigation and livelihood benefits. These include agroecology, sustainable forestry, fisheries restoration, soil conservation and mangrove reforestation. The emphasis was on knowledge‑based, low‑cost approaches suitable for smallholders facing climate stress.

Rather than introducing new technologies, this solution scales what farmers already practice — if supported by policy recognition, finance and extension services.

Key implementation value

  • Low capital intensity, high resilience benefits
  • Scalable through farmer networks and extension systems
  • Strong adaptation and food‑security co‑benefits
CW4

Build investment-ready pipelines through blended finance and project preparation support

The session identified the gap between agricultural climate solutions and investable projects: countries and farmers often know what needs to be done, but lack the project preparation, risk-reduction mechanisms and financing structures required to attract capital.

Several implementation models were presented, including the Baku Harmoniya Climate Initiative for Farmers and the FAST Partnership. The approaches presented combine public finance, concessional finance, guarantees, insurance, technical assistance, project preparation support and private investment to create bankable pipelines that can unlock much larger public and private investment flows for climate-resilient agriculture.

Key implementation value

  • Reduces investment risk through concessional finance, guarantees, insurance and public support, making agricultural projects more attractive to investors
  • Transforms climate solutions into investment-ready projects through stronger project preparation, MRV systems, technical assistance and investment pipelines
  • Improves access for farmers and SMEs, particularly through blended finance models, differentiated financial products and support mechanisms that can mobilize more capital

AXIS 3 / SECTION II

Progress on global socio-economic indicators (GSIs)

Across Axis 3, some sources of farm emissions are becoming less intensive and food security is improving, but food loss is not.

INDICATORS AT A GLANCE

5 of 10

Indicators show progress

4 of 10

Indicators show no progress

1 of 10

Indicator has insufficient data

1 new

Indicator added this year

Under Objective 8, emissions intensity is improving for some sources but not others. Between 2022 and 2023, FAOSTAT data shows it fell for enteric fermentation and rice cultivation, held flat for soil fertilization and rose for manure management. It also shows crop yields held at 6.8 tonnes per hectare between 2023 and 2024, while ruminant meat productivity rose from 30 to 31 kg per hectare.

Under Objective 9, the share of food production lost held at 13 per cent between 2021 and 2023. No global indicator yet tracks the resilience of food systems to climate shocks or the finance reaching small-scale farmers.

Under Objective 10, the share of people unable to afford a healthy diet fell from 37.4 per cent in 2021 to 32.7 per cent in 2025, though that is still nearly one in three. Undernourishment fell from 9.1 in 2023 to 7.8 per cent of the population in 2025, and 79 per cent of countries legally recognized land tenure rights for Indigenous Peoples and local communities in 2020.

AXIS 3 / SECTION III

Progress of plans and initiatives

NAZCA

Distribution of CCIs by Function and Climate Focus – Axis 3 - Transforming Agriculture and Food Systems

Implementation of projects is the leading CCI function under this axis, and across the six axes, this function records its highest count under Axis 5, suggesting continued on-the-ground work in both ‘Transforming agriculture and food systems and ‘Fostering human and social development’. This is followed by Knowledge production, sharing and capacity-building. Technological research and innovation is also represented. Mobilization of finance and financial approaches ranks among the leading CCI functions across the axes, recording the second-highest count under Axis 6. This highlights the role of finance in supporting climate action across agri-food industry and efforts to enable and accelerate climate action.

Data as of October 2026

Explore the full overview on NAZCA

Highlights of initiative self-tracking progress

Highlights of CCI self-reported action

The information in the highlights of CCI self-reported action was directly submitted by CCIs and, therefore, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the secretariat.

Plans to Accelerate Solutions

Plans to Accelerate Solutions (PAS) are practical, time-bound roadmaps that bring together policy, finance, and delivery around specific challenges.
Under Axis 3, 16 PAS cover all three objectives. In the October 2026 reporting round, 13 PAS shared progress.

List of activation groups and PAS

AXIS 3 / SECTION IV

COP 31 Action Agenda

Advancing the global transition toward sustainable and resilient food systems through Food Security

Sitting at the nexus of climate, nature and development challenges, agriculture and food systems are central to sustaining the livelihoods of billions. Transforming these systems is essential to achieving the Paris Agreement and advancing outcomes of the first GST relating to reducing food systems emissions along the value chain, restoring land and preventing agriculture-led deforestation, while safeguarding food security and nutrition for all.

Key to achieving this is the plan to advance a food security solutions acceleration workstream complemented by a broader Circular Food Systems and Zero Food Waste component linked to the Zero Waste Package. The efforts here are focused on reducing food loss and waste across value chains, improving organics management, reducing methane emissions and strengthening food security, resilience and nutrition outcomes.

AXIS 3 / SECTION V

Global Climate Action at COP 31

A summary of Global Climate Action solutions under Axis 3 showcased during COP 31 will be made available here during the Conference. The GCA programme at COP 31 is available here.