Agri-food systems account for roughly one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions while also contributing to soil degradation, freshwater depletion and biodiversity loss. At the same time, droughts and extreme weather increasingly affect agricultural productivity. Against this background, this OECD guide provides development practitioners with practical approaches for integrating climate adaptation and mitigation into agri-food project design and assessing the environmental results of interventions.

For climate adaptation, the guide proposes indicators covering biodiversity, soil and water, alongside changes in farming practices and longer-term strategies to strengthen resilience. Its mitigation component addresses methods for measuring project carbon footprints and assessing carbon sequestration potential, while considering enabling technologies and socio-economic factors. Together, these approaches are intended to help practitioners identify and monitor environmental and climate outcomes throughout project implementation.

Published by the OECD in August 2026, the guide also connects project-level measurement with broader development and policy processes. It highlights how evidence generated by agri-food projects can contribute to national and international climate policy, support the mobilization of climate finance and strengthen institutional capacity. By bringing adaptation, mitigation and environmental indicators together within project planning and monitoring, the resource provides a practical framework for development actors seeking to improve the environmental performance and climate resilience of agricultural and food-system investments.