Extreme weather events and shifting climate patterns are increasingly disrupting food production, food security, and rural livelihoods.

Agrifood systems and the people behind them are already under enormous strain in a world made hotter, drier and less predictable by climate change. A resilient agrifood system now is the strongest line of defense against escalating climate shocks, especially in Africa.

The FAO Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment (OCB) Climate Policy and Finance Week (14–18 September 2026) will convene experts, partners, Members and FAO colleagues for a series of policy dialogues, technical exchanges, governance meetings and partnership events focused on advan...

Agrifood systems are both highly vulnerable to climate change and central to climate solutions. They generate one third of global greenhouse gas emissions, are highly exposed to climate impacts, and are essential to achieving just, resilient and low-carbon futures.

Implementation challenges are critical learning opportunities for project success. This was one of the key messages echoed throughout the first-ever FAO–Green Climate Fund (GCF) Project Manager Workshop, held at FAO headquarters in Rome from 1–3 September 2026.

FAO is ramping up efforts to support countries to advance climate action in agrifood systems and embed agriculture and food security more firmly within climate negotiations and climate finance agendas.

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You don’t have to look far to see how plastic has worked its way into every corner of the agrifood system. Seedling trays, mulch films, irrigation tubing, shipping crates, cling wrap. And that’s before it even hits the shelves. It’s efficient, cheap, and convenient, helping to protect crops and reduce food losses – but it lingers. More than 12.5 million tonnes are used each year in agriculture alone, and another 37 million tonnes in food packaging. Very little of it gets recycled.

At a side event held during the 2026 Bonn Climate Change Conference, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) and Türkiye’s Presidency of the 2026 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 31) presented an initiative to create a global mechanism to integrate food systems transformation, sustainable water management, and climate adaptation.

Rome – As climate change leaves its footprint across every part of the agrifood sector, governments, farmers, researchers and investors are increasingly focused on how climate technologies can help strengthen adaptation and food security.  

At the event "Building Climate-...

When El Niño-linked weather extremes hit agrifood systems, the damage can be counted in failed crops, dead livestock, flooded fields and lost income. But the real cost often begins where that first tally ends. One failed season can degrade soils, deplete seed stocks, reduce herds and de...

Hundreds of years ago, Peruvian fishers noticed that every few years the usually rich waters off South America would warm, and the anchoveta, one of their most reliable catches, would vanish. Because this often happened around Christmastime, they called the phenomenon El Niño de Navidad...

A strong El Niño is developing in a world already made hotter and less predictable by climate change. For agriculture, that combination is especially dangerous. El Niño raises global temperatures, disrupts rainfall patterns and can trigger weather extremes across key growing regions. One of the clearest risks is extreme heat. 

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Global warming, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, is already making wildfires worse. Fire seasons are lasting longer, and wildfires are becoming more intense, more frequent and covering larger areas, occurring in places and latitudes where they were not common before. Scientists continue to debate whether climate change is making El Niños stronger. But there is no doubt about what happens when El Niño develops in an increasingly warmer world: its impacts are amplified.

A powerful El Niño is building at a dangerous moment for global food security. It is arriving as the world is already facing record heat, driven by climate change, and as shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz roil fertiliser markets just as farmers prepare for planting in many regions.

Fiji secures a historic USD 52.5 million from GCF for a major climate project supported by FAO. The Fiji FLR initiative will use a ridge-to-reef approach to connect forest restoration upstream with the protection of coastal ecosystems downstream, helping to build a more resilient, sustainable and food-secure Fiji.

Agrifood systems are on the frontline of climate risks, from prolonged droughts and extreme heat to unpredictable rainfalls. Yet farms, soils, pasture, forests, and water systems offer some of the most powerful tools countries have to protect livelihoods and build resilience while reducing emission. This was FAO’s central message at London Climate Action Week 2026.

The COP31 Turquoise Nexus Initiative (TNI) was presented on 16 June 2026 to governments, international organizations, development partners and technical experts during the UNFCCC June Climate Meetings (SB64) in Bonn. The event underscored the urgency of addressing the interconnected challenges of food insecurity, water scarcity and climate change through more coordinated approaches.

While the food, water, and climate crises are deeply interconnected, national climate commitments rarely reflect coordination across water, agriculture, water, food security, and adaptation measures. The Turquoise Nexus Initiative (TNI) —an initiative of Türkiye that will be formally launched at COP 31—aims to address this fragmentation by creating a global mechanism that will integrate food systems transformation, sustainable water management, and climate adaptation.