FAO’s support to countries facing climate change
Global hunger numbers rose to as many as 828 million in 2021
The global response to climate change today will determine how we feed future generations tomorrow. By transforming their agriculture sectors, countries have the chance to achieve food security for all.
At the same time, agriculture, including forestry, fisheries and livestock production, generate around a fifth of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. This must be reduced by 2030 to achieve the goal of limiting global warming to 2°C.
To meet these challenges FAO’s strategy focuses on adaptation and mitigation in the agriculture sectors and advocates for better management of synergies and trade-offs between the two. FAO supports its member countries in these efforts offering technical guidance, data and tools for improved decision making and the implementation of adaptive measures. FAO has also embedded these tools and approaches in broader frameworks such as climate-smart agriculture and in the promotion of Disaster Risk Reduction policy and action.
The Organization’s assistance to developing countries focuses on integrated approaches to agricultural development. It facilitates the design of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs), and supports climate actions that countries have publicly pledged to achieve, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) through:
Coherent policy frameworksFAO has a long history of working with countries to improve policy coherence in order to achieve national agricultural objectives. The establishment of interministerial working groups to review national bioenergy programmes is an example of this. More..
In response to increasing demands, FAO's climate change portfolio has expanded. From 2009 to 2017, more than 300 programmes and projects addressed the problems caused by climate variability and extremes in the agriculture sectors.