WFO has called for COP31 to secure the continuation of the UNFCCC’s work on agriculture and food security beyond the Conference. The fourth COP31 Presidency letter now explicitly addresses the Sharm el-Sheikh Joint Work on agriculture, with a commitment to work with Parties next steps.

Agriculture and food security already featured in earlier letters from the COP31 Presidency. Published on 5 October 2026, the fourth letter, jointly signed by President-Designate Murat Kurum and President of Negotiations Chris Bowen, states:

“After four years, the Sharm el-Sheikh Joint Work on Agriculture has provided valuable lessons regarding climate action for agriculture and food security. We will work with Parties to capture the outcomes of this work and to identify next steps.”

The future of the agriculture workstream was also a priority raised by the World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO) with the Türkiye COP31 Presidency. In a letter dated 31 July 2026, addressed to the Turkish Embassy in Rome for transmission to the Presidency, WFO welcomed the attention on practical and inclusive climate action and set out its priorities for the Conference.

The letter followed a meeting at the Embassy in May and was part of WFO’s continued engagement with the COP31 Presidency teams, both through direct dialogue and through the UNFCCC Farmers’ Constituency, which WFO coordinates. This has included online meetings between the Farmers’ Constituency and representatives of the Türkiye COP31 Presidency and the Australian Presidency of Negotiations.

A central request was for COP31 to decide the future of the Sharm el-Sheikh Joint Work on Implementation of Climate Action on Agriculture and Food Security (SJWA), including its extension and continuation beyond COP31, to provide long-term continuity for implementation-oriented agricultural climate action under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The request builds on concerns WFO raised after the Bonn Climate Change Conference (SB64), where several elements of the agriculture negotiations remained unresolved and were deferred to Antalya. With the SJWA mandate set to conclude at COP31, the Conference is a critical opportunity to determine how this work will proceed.

For WFO, that continuity goes hand in hand with farmers’ participation. The July letter requested dedicated spaces and engagement platforms at COP31 where farmers can exchange practical experiences, assess the feasibility of solutions and engage directly with Parties and other stakeholders.

The letter highlighted WFO’s capacity to convene farmers’ organisations worldwide and to contribute practical experience in climate adaptation and mitigation. These contributions can help connect international discussions to farmers’ priorities and the realities of on-the-ground implementation.

WFO also sought support in connecting with Turkish farmers’ organisations and cooperatives, including potential partners interested in joining its global network and bringing their perspectives to COP31.

WFO and the UNFCCC Farmers’ Constituency stand ready to work with the Türkiye COP31 Presidency, the Australian Presidency of Negotiations, Parties and stakeholders to ensure that agriculture remains central to implementation under the Paris Agreement and that farmer-led solutions help shape climate action, at COP31 and beyond.