Just transition in agrifood systems
Nearly one billion people live in poverty and hunger, mainly in rural areas where climate change is already undermining the stability and productivity of agrifood systems and putting food security, livelihoods, and sustainable development under even greater strain.
Transforming agrifood systems to be low-emission, climate-resilient, and inclusive can help countries deliver on climate ambitions in ways that are fair and lasting—especially for vulnerable and marginalized people who live and work in rural areas across developing countries.
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Agrifood systems are a powerful climate solution: a carbon neutral, resilient and inclusive transformation of agrifood systems is essential to tackling poverty and hunger, protecting human rights, and strengthening climate‑resilient development for rural communities and agrifood systems workers.
A just transition in agrifood systems involves integrating agrifood systems into climate policies and plans at global and national levels to deliver fair and effective outcomes across all nodes of agrifood systems. This transition must be underpinned by inclusive governance and rights-based approaches, ensuring that women, youth, family farmers, small-scale producers, rural communities and Indigenous Peoples have agency in shaping change.
Building on the growing recognition under the UNFCCC of the need for whole-of-society, multisectoral approaches to just transition pathways, FAO’s work places agrifood systems at the center of these efforts, providing technical expertise and knowledge to support countries in integrating agriculture, food production and rural development into just transition planning.
Key messages
A just transition in agrifood systems is essential to meeting global climate ambitions.
A transition toward carbon‑neutral, climate‑resilient and inclusive agrifood systems is essential to addressing the climate crisis. By transforming how food is produced, distributed and consumed while safeguarding livelihoods and equity, agrifood systems can become a powerful driver of climate solutions and a cornerstone of a just transition for all.
A just transition in agrifood systems must be people‑centred and leave no one behind.
It must prioritize the rights, needs and agency of those most affected by climate change and structural inequalities - especially Indigenous Peoples, family farmers, small‑scale producers, agricultural workers, women and youth. They must be empowered to ensure they are not harmed by climate action.
A just transition in agrifood systems should be resilient, inclusive, transformational and systemic.
It must address the root causes of inequality while creating sustainable and equitable food systems that do no harm. By tackling hunger, malnutrition and poverty, and delivering co‑benefits for climate, nature and people, agrifood system transformation can support long‑term resilience and sustainable rural development.
Useful resources
Policy Brief
Pathways towards a just transition in agrifood systems
13/11/2025
Despite their critical role in climate action, agrifood systems have not been integrated into just transition policy debates under the UNFCCC, and are...
Other Documents
Deliberative Dialogues Series - Co-creating pathways for a Just Transition in agrifood systems
18/08/2025
Acknowledged in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) agreements made in Cancun (UNFCCC 2010) and Paris (UNFCCC 2015),...
Publications
Pathways towards a just transition in agrifood systems - Deliberative Dialogues: July–September 2025
11/07/2025
From July to September 2025, FAO convened four online deliberative dialogue meetings on the subject of how to achieve a just transition in agrifood...