FAO-GEF Partnership for Climate Change

Agrifood systems are increasingly impacted by climate change: Food and water security, as well as livelihoods in farming and food production, are dependent on a stable climate. At the same time, sustainable agrifood systems can offer a wide range of solutions that positively impact both climate change adaptation and mitigation on the ground.

FAO promotes inclusive and resilient agrifood system solutions through initiatives that are at the heart of climate action, and address the interconnected challenges of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation through nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based adaptation. The FAO Strategy on Climate Change 2022–2031 supports member countries in adopting best practices and innovative solutions to enhance climate resilience, adaptation, and mitigation, thereby fostering sustainable agrifood systems.

FAO also has a longstanding partnership with Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), which are among the most vulnerable nations to climate change due to their limited coping capacities, compounded by unique, often remote, geographical conditions. FAO assists LDCs and SIDS in achieving transformational adaptation and advancing the Paris Agreement’s Global Goal on Adaptation, in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Through GEF's financing, FAO is advancing climate action at the local level by empowering smallholder farmers, fisherfolk, women, men, youth, indigenous peoples and local communities, and other marginalized groups to adapt to climate change. These initiatives have improved access to tailored climate information, early warning systems, adaptation technologies (including soil and water management, irrigation, and drought-resistant seeds), land and water resources, extension and advisory services, as well as finance and market access, including micro-credit.

The FAO-GEF partnership also supports countries in enhancing their capacities to track and report on their progress in mitigation and adaptation actions, including the development of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventories. This support includes updates on technology, training, and financing. As part of the GEF Capacity-building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT), these efforts align with the Paris Agreement (Article 13) and assist countries in strengthening their institutions to ensure transparency in accordance with national priorities.