Join the UN-REDD Programme at COP29 to explore innovative solutions at the intersection of agriculture, forestry, and finance, driving climate ambition and sustainable development towards COP30 and beyond.
Agriculture-forestry innovation and finance: scaling up ambition towards COP30 and beyond
Date: 21 November
Time: 17:00-18:10 Baku time / 14:00-17:00 Rome time
Venue: Forest Pavilion, Blue zone
Organizer: UN-REDD Programme
UN-REDD even page: here
CONTEXT
Forests are essential for achieving the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5–2°C above pre-industrial levels. Forests help cut emissions, conserve biodiversity, and provide crucial ecosystem services that enhance agrifood system resilience. The loss of forest cover—particularly in tropical regions—compounds local climate impacts, disrupting rainfall and affecting agricultural productivity. Sustainable forestry practices are therefore vital to resilient food systems, especially for communities whose livelihoods depend on agriculture-forest synergies.
Integrating agriculture-forestry synergies into agrifood systems enhances food security, local livelihoods, and resilience to environmental shocks. Sustainable land use practices such as agroforestry and forest conservation are key to building inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems that support better production, nutrition, and environmental outcomes, and can enhance ambition of NDCs and NBSAPs.
FINANCING SYNERGIES FOR IMPACT
With strong momentum from the GCF B.40, COP29 and UNFSS+4, this event, organized by the UN-REDD Programme, will explore how REDD+ efforts and results-based finance (RBF) can strengthen agriculture-forestry synergies. RBF offers a crucial mechanism to channel investments into sustainable land use practices that benefit both forests and agriculture. By directly rewarding outcomes, RBF incentivizes practices that curb emissions, safeguard biodiversity, protect Indigenous rights, and support communities in climate resilience efforts.
UNIFIED SOLUTIONS FOR TRANSFORMATION
This side event will highlight pathways for integrating forests, nature, and people into unified solutions for climate and agrifood system transformation. Speakers will share insights on mobilizing RBF to bridge agriculture and forestry, accelerating action toward UNFSS+4 and COP 30 in Belém, and securing meaningful progress on the 2030 forest goals.
The speakers in this event will:
- Build upon the Tri-COP momentum toward COP30 and UNFSS+4 by reinforcing agriculture-forestry synergies, spotlighting UN-REDD and core partners’ leadership in embedding forests into sustainable food systems and climate strategies.
- Showcase the transformation potential of [Countries’] efforts supported by supported by [UN-REDD] innovative policies and actions promoting “forest-positive” food systems, including through opportunities to connect the decade-long REDD+ process to UNFSS national pathways for agrifood systems transformation; bridging business and government climate and nature commitments; reflecting on emerging deforestation-related market measures, impacts and needs.
- Emphasize the role of innovative finance in advancing forest-positive agriculture, illustrating how sustainable finance pathways attract investment that supports climate resilience and drives economic growth in forest-dependent communities.
- Share country perspectives on aligning policy with action, detailing how a Forestry Public Expenditure Review fosters policy coherence to enhance forest and climate outcomes.
AGENDA & SPEAKERS
Introduction by Moderator:
- Mr Mario Boccucci, Head of the UN-REDD Programme Secretariat
Scene-setting:
- Ms Serena Fortuna, Senior Forestry Officer - Halting deforestation, degradation and emissions Team Leader (FAO), and the UN-REDD Programme Management Group Member
Panel discussion
· Ms Roselyn Fosuah Adjei, Director of Climate Change, Ghana Forestry Commission, Ghana;
· Colombia: Ministry of Environment;
· Mr Nguyen Thanh Tung, Senior Official, Forest Products Trade and Processing Division, DOF, Viet Nam;
· Ecuador, Ministry of Environment, Water, and Ecological Transition;
· Mr Ben Vickers, Senior Specialist, Land Use, Forestry, and Ecosystems, Green Climate Fund;
Closing remarks:
- Mr Marcos Neto, Assistant Secretary-General, UNDP