Read your way to COP 28

From 30 November to 12 December, the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) will bring together world leaders, policymakers, scientists, and stakeholders from across the globe to deliberate on strategies and commitments that will shape the future of our planet.

For FAO, COP28 serves as a platform for collaborative dialogue, knowledge sharing, and decision-making on the unique role of agriculture and food systems in the fight against climate change. 

Agrifood system solutions are climate solutions.

FAO’s work includes climate change adaptation, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and building resilience, while safeguarding biodiversity and ensuring food security for all.

Ahead of this critical conference, we have put together a selection of FAO publications that showcase the Organization’s core work on tackling climate change.

For a wider range of titles, check the most recent FAO publications catalogue.

FAO Strategy on Climate Change 2022–2031
FAO’s Strategy on Climate Change 2022–2031 builds on its previous strategy, the latest international developments and scientific evidence. Through the strategy, FAO supports Member countries in adopting good practices and innovative solutions to address climate resilience, adaptation and mitigation for sustainable agrifood systems.

FAO Action Plan 2022–2025 for the implementation of the FAO Strategy on Climate Change
The objective of the Action Plan is to implement the vision set out in the FAO Strategy on Climate Change, enhancing support to Member countries through climate change adaptation and mitigation, while striving to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Using Metrics to Assess Progress towards the Paris Agreement's Global Goal on Adaptation – Transparency in Adaptation in the Agriculture Sector
This publication aims to aid countries in evaluating climate action in their agriculture sectors by establishing a comprehensive metric framework, thereby playing a crucial role in assessing progress towards the Global Goal on Adaptation.

The State of the World's Forests 2022 – Forest pathways for green recovery and building inclusive, resilient and sustainable economies
This report sets out three pathways for achieving green recovery and tackling multidimensional planetary crises: halting deforestation; restoring degraded land and expanding agroforestry; and sustainably using forests and building green value chains.

The State of Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture in the Near East and North Africa region – Summary report
The publication provides policymakers, institutions and other stakeholders a comprehensive overview of the current situation of land and water in the Near East and North Africa region. To inform decision-making, it looks at the effect of climate change and urbanization on food production.

The role of genetic resources for food and agriculture in adaptation to and mitigation of climate change
This study explores the impact of climate change on animal, aquatic, forest and plant genetic resources. It provides recommendations on how to take advantage of genetic diversity in climate change adaptation, including characterizing existing gene bank collections and securing their funding.

Climate change, biodiversity and nutrition nexus – Evidence and emerging policy and programming opportunities
Presenting recommendations for action, this paper identifies entry points within agrifood systems to improve biodiversity and diets, two levers to enhance nutrition and optimize environmental sustainability while ensuring social equity, especially among the most vulnerable.

A snapshot of the status and way forward for transforming agrifood systems in the Pacific – Identifying entry points and analysing trade-offs for policymakers
This report describes the impact of climate change on agrifood systems in Pacific Island countries and provides an overview of entry points for sustainable food system transformation.

Sustainable and circular bioeconomy in the climate agenda: Opportunities to transform agrifood systems
This paper gives an overview of how the bioeconomy can contribute to the climate action strategies outlined in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recommendations, nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and adaptation strategies.

Methane emissions in livestock and rice systems – Sources, quantification, mitigation and metrics
Addressing methane emissions from livestock and rice systems is vital for promoting sustainable agriculture and mitigating climate change. This report addresses methane emissions in agriculture and their impact on global greenhouse gas levels. By analyzing sources, sinks, quantification methods, and mitigation strategies, this publication highlights challenges and opportunities to reduce methane emissions from livestock and rice production systems. 

Agrifood systems and land-related emissions – Global, regional and country trends, 2001–2021
Greenhouse gas emissions from agrifood systems are generated within the farm gate, by crop and livestock production activities; by land-use change, for instance deforestation and peatland drainage to make room for agriculture; and in pre- and post-production processes, such as food manufacturing, transport, retail, household consumption and food waste disposal. This brief provides an update to the year 2021 of all agrifood systems emissions and indicators, as well as a detailed focus on land-use change emissions.

The Impact of Disasters on Agriculture and Food Security 2023 – Avoiding and reducing losses through investment in resilience
This report provides an assessment of losses caused by disasters in agricultural production over the past three decades and delves into the diverse threats and impacts affecting the crops, livestock, forestry, and fisheries and aquaculture subsectors.

Global Report on Food Crises 2023
The 2023 report estimates that over a quarter of a billion people were acutely food-insecure and required urgent food assistance in 58 food-crisis countries and territories in 2022. This is the highest number in the seven-year history of the GRFC.

Climate action and nutrition – Pathways to impact
This paper, a contribution to the Initiative on Climate Change and Nutrition (I-CAN), explores options for integrated actions addressing jointly climate change and malnutrition across agrifood, water, social protection, and health systems. Also available in brief.

Agrifood solutions to climate change – FAO's work on the climate crisis
The future of the world as we know it depends on sustainable climate solutions and action. This publication addresses how FAO is working with countries and partners at all levels to address the challenges of food security, climate change and biodiversity loss. Also available in digital format.

Loss and damage and agrifood systems – Addressing gaps and challenges
Agrifood systems are intrinsically linked to climate change and are particularly vulnerable to its impacts. This report provides an overview and status of affairs on the debate around loss and damage within climate change discourse. It finds that support to countries needs to be targeted and strengthened so that loss and damage in agrifood systems can be dealt with as early as possible.

Pathways towards lower emissions – A global assessment of the greenhouse gas emissions and mitigation options from livestock agrifood systems
This report presents a comprehensive global assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from livestock systems, utilizing FAO’s Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model (GLEAM) based on the most recent available data. It illustrates pathways towards lower emissions through a set of interventions on both the supply and demand sides of animal production.

Climate-related development finance to agrifood systems. Global and regional trends between 2000 and 2021
This publication brings to light the evolution of climate finance in agrifood systems over the past two decades, showcasing unique sectorial analysis of climate finance allocations for adaptation and mitigation, delving into the diversity of actors involved, from bilateral and multilateral agencies to the private sector, highlighting the critical need for partnerships that transcend boundaries.

Catalysing climate solutions – An introduction to FAO’s work on climate change adaptation in agrifood systems
Climate change is a significant stressor on most global and local value chains, posing a threat to food security. In alignment with the FAO Strategy on Climate Change 2022–2031, this publication underscores FAO’s commitment to transformative action in agrifood systems and calls for a people-centred approach to climate change adaptation.

Further reading

• El Niño: Anticipatory Action and Response Plan, October 2023–March 2024
• Greenhouse gas emissions from agri-food systems – Global, regional and country trends, 2000–2020
• Greenhouse gas emissions from food systems: building the evidence base
• Animal health and climate change – Protecting the health of animals to help reduce the effects of our changing climate on hunger and poverty
• Five practical actions towards low-carbon livestock
• FAST Partnership – Food and Agriculture for Sustainable Transformation
• FAO submission on Sharm el-Sheikh joint work on implementation of climate action on agriculture and food security
• The key role of forest and landscape restoration in climate action
• Outcomes and lessons learned from the Koronivia UNFCCC negotiations on agriculture and food security, and the way forward after COP 27 – Brief note
• Private sector mapping, outreach, and engagement in climate-responsive agrifood systems – SCALA private sector engagement guidance series, March 2023
• Colombia: advancing monitoring and evaluation of adaptation in the agriculture sector – Experiences of integrating agriculture in sectoral and national adaptation planning processes
• Strengthening Agricultural Adaptation: SAGA project – Phase 1
• Forest-based adaptation: transformational adaptation through forests and trees
• The world’s mangroves 2000–2020
• Strengthening gender-responsive climate policies and actions in the livestock sector, climate-smart agriculture, agrifood value chains, and aquaculture and fisheries
• Climate Risk Toolbox – Guiding material for climate risk screening
• Climate finance toolkit for Europe and Central Asia 2022

Forthcoming

• Integrated flood management for resilient agrifood systems and rural development
• Catalyzing climate solutions: FAO’s work on climate change adaptation in agrifood systems
• Climate-related development finance in the agriculture and land use sectors. Global and regional trends between 2000−2021
• Private sector: Enabling and de-risking private sector investment in climate responsive food and land use priorities of National Climate Plans: Focus on supply chains, small holders, and agribusinesses in developing countries

Additional resources

• FAO Climate Change website
• FAO at COP28
• FAO Climate Change Knowledge Hub
• FAO and the UNFCCC