Copenhagen, Denmark - Ahead of COP30 in Brazil, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is accelerating its support to countries in the development and implementation of climate action plans with resilient and low-emission agriculture and food systems at their core.

More countries are calling for support with agrifood systems as they update their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), but less than half are receiving the assistance they need – assistance that FAO is well able to provide. These were key messages delivered by FAO representatives at a meeting of the NDC Partnership Select Committee in Copenhagen this week.

Deputy Director of the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment (OCB) Piedad Martín and the Global Manager of the SCALA programme Julia Wolf are attending  the meeting, the first held since FAO joined the Select Committee earlier this year. They say that including FAO as a key implementing partner in the Partnership’s new 2026-2030 Work Program would go a long way to satisfying the growing demand for assistance.

“FAO stands ready to support the NDC Partnership to close this critical gap through its wide network of in house and external technical expertise in the sector and convening power among key NDC government and non-state practitioners,” Ms Martín emphasizes. “The recently extended FAO-UNDP flagship SCALA programme, funded by Germany’s Ministry for the Environment (BMUV) through the International Climate Initiative, is a tried and tested vehicle to provide NDC support. And as countries strive to submit their new generation NDCs in 2025, FAO is redoubling its efforts, including through a dedicated project funded by Germany’s Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).”

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