Over two days in Brasilia, farmers from nearly 50 countries across the globe came together to shape a strong, evidence-based and farmer-driven contribution to COP30. Their message is clear: climate action in agriculture cannot succeed unless farmers are at the table of global decision-making.

Over two transformative days, farmers took centre stage in Brasilia as the COP30 Farmers’ Summit gathered leading farmers’ organisations and global stakeholders from nearly 50 countries to discuss the state of climate action implementation in the agrifood sector and shape a farmer-driven contribution to COP30 in Belém.

Farmers worldwide are facing unprecedented challenges — rising temperatures, extreme rainfall, and devastating floods. Yet as governments present updated plans to address this crisis, the voices of those most affected—farmers—are still often missing from the decision-making table.

Held in parallel with the Leaders’ Summit in Belém, and co-organised by the World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO) and the Confederação da Agricultura e Pecuária do Brasil (CNA Brasil), the Summit reaffirmed a shared message: climate action cannot succeed unless farmers are at the heart of the conversation, contributing practical and bottom-up perspectives to global decision-making.

A High-Level Opening that Set the Tone

©WFO. Daniel Fagundes/Trilux

The Summit opened with strong political messages. João Martins, President of CNA Brasil, called on farmers everywhere to join forces to address climate change. Daniel Trento do Nascimento, Chief Advisor at Embrapa, highlighted the dual reality that agriculture is both vulnerable to climate shocks and indispensable to the solution. Lloyd Day, Deputy Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), reminded participants that agriculture should not be viewed as a broken system but as “a miracle that feeds the world.” Representing the Brazilian Government, Luis Rua underlined the importance of public–private collaboration and noted that COP30 will be a pivotal moment for positioning agriculture as a vital component of the solution. WFO President Arnold Puech d’Alissac closed the opening and reiterated: “If the world wants to achieve its climate goals, it needs farmers as partners and leaders in climate action.”

©WFO. Daniel Fagundes/Trilux

Day 1: From Political Vision to Farmer Leadership

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Building on this opening, the Summit moved into a deeper dialogue involving experts engaging in the COP30 preparations and representatives of the UNFCCC Farmers’ Constituency. Theo De Jager, CEO of the Southern African Agri Initiative (Saai) and former President of WFO, delivered a powerful call for unity, expressing his aspiration for farmers to “speak with one voice about what we do, in harmony with our planet — not destroying it, but feeding the world.” Alberto Ercilio Broch, President of COPROFAM and Vice President of the World Rural Forum, emphasised that the COP30 Farmers’ Summit is a milestone on the road to COP30, stating: “Nothing about farmers without farmers — because they are part of the solution, part of the puzzle.”

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Representing the COP30 Brazil Presidency, Bruno Brasil, Director of Sustainable Production and Irrigation at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil (MAPA), outlined the Presidency’s agenda and presented the RAIZ (Resilient Agriculture Investment for Net-Zero) Initiative, a global effort to map and mobilise funding for the restoration of degraded farmlands worldwide. Aligned with the shared global goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), RAIZ focuses on restoring degraded agricultural lands to achieve multiple co-benefits, including reducing emissions, strengthening food security, preventing deforestation and conserving biodiversity. It is hosted by MAPA under the FAO FAST Partnership, in collaboration with the UNCCD G20 Global Land Initiative and the Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU), in partnership with the Action Agenda for Regenerative Landscapes. The initiative is supported by technical partners, including the Green Climate Fund, the World Bank, CGIAR, iCS, and Agroicone, among others.

From this broader perspective, the conversation naturally advanced to a series of farmer-led interventions that illustrated what climate action looks like on the ground.

Farmers’ representatives shared concrete experiences linked to four of the six priorities of the UNFCCC Farmers Constituency for COP30 — scaling up mitigation in the agricultural sector, fostering a just rural transition, embedding the unique nature of agriculture in the Global Goal on Adaptation, and ensuring finance is available, accessible, and predictable at the farm level.

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Amanda Soares Roza, Sustainability Advisor at CNA Brasil, showcased how Brazilian farmers are already mitigating climate impacts, emphasising that “mitigation happens in the fields — not in offices.” Mark Watne, President of the North Dakota Farmers Union (Member of the National Farmers Union – USA), outlined how US farmers are adapting to climate pressures and political uncertainty. Phuong Tran Thu, Senior Expert at the Vietnam Farmers’ Union, described how farmers in Vietnam are being supported with new protocols that promote the adoption of climate-resilient practices. Tamar Toria, Executive Director at the Georgian Farmers’ Association, presented new financial tools designed to help Georgian farmers access resources and adapt to evolving climate challenges.

The first day concluded with the exclusive screening of Alltech’s documentary “World Without Cows“, highlighting the cultural, nutritional, environmental, and social importance of cattle systems and their essential contributions to maintaining ecosystems, supporting biodiversity, and converting otherwise inedible materials into nutrient-rich food.

Day 2: Turning Frameworks into Action

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Day two opened with a farmers’ consultation session led by David Laborde, Director of the FAO Agrifood Economics Division, focusing on the FAO Global Roadmap, a pragmatic framework to demonstrate how investments in agriculture can advance Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) while supporting climate objectives. Farmers and their representatives shared their perspectives on how to translate this global vision into concrete actions that foster equity, enhance resilience, and ensure access to good food for all.

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The debate then moved to regenerative and climate-resilient approaches across the dairy value chain. In a session led by WFO partner Nestlé, farmers and experts discussed how such practices can support both environmental improvements and viable livelihoods. Moderated by Franck Saint-Martin, Environmental Impact Lead – Global Public Affairs at Nestlé, the exchange highlighted the importance of collaboration across the value chain to advance food systems resilience and sustainability.

©WFO. Daniel Fagundes/Trilux

A regional session hosted by CNA Brasil, dedicated to regional agricultural realities and cooperation, brought a Latin American perspective to the fore. It examined Brazil’s agricultural trajectory, regional production models, shared trade challenges, and emerging pathways for cooperation. The conversation highlighted how farmers across Latin America are contributing to more resilient food systems amidst increasing environmental and economic pressures.

©WFO. Daniel Fagundes/Trilux

This regional discussion paved the way for a critical thematic debate on “Multilateral Trade as a Lever for Addressing Climate Change and Food Security Issues.” Moderated by Isadora Souza, International Affairs Advisor for Trade, CNA Brasil, the session featured: Lloyd Day, Deputy Director General, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA); David Laborde, Director of the FAO Agrifood Economics Division; Laurie Goodwin, Vice President for Public Affairs & Communication, CropLife International; Nick Gardner, Senior Vice President for Multilateral Affairs, US Dairy Export Council (USDEC); David Barton, Livestock Board Member, National Farmers’ Union of England and Wales (NFU); Felipe Luis Spaniol, International Relations Coordinator of Business Intelligence and Advocacy, CNA Brasil; Theo De Jager, CEO, Southern African Agri Initiative (SAAI), and Former President, World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO). They discussed how multilateral trade can become a lever for sustainability and resilience, supporting climate adaptation, sustainable production, and global food security, while addressing the impacts of trade disruptions on farmers’ resilience and investment capacity.

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The final session, “Sharing the Risk, Scaling the Response: Improving Farmers’ Access to Climate Finance,” examined how to increase the availability, accessibility, and predictability of finance at the farm level. Speakers included: Ana Carolina, young farmer from Brazil and WFO Gymnasium alumna (moderator); Katja Vuori, CEO, Agricord; Tobias Gras, Head of Policy, Danish Agriculture and Food Council (DAFC); Betty Chinyamunyamu, CEO, National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi (NASFAM); Sok Sotha, Chief Executive, Cambodian Farmers Federation Association of Agricultural Producers (CFAP); Kati Partanen, WFO Board Member for Europe from the Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK, Finland). They discussed how to rebalance risk, design inclusive financial models, and align finance with the realities of agricultural production.

A Shared Commitment to Farmer-Centred Climate Action

Across all sessions, the Summit demonstrated a powerful truth: when farmers are at the table, solutions are stronger, more realistic, and more likely to succeed. The discussions highlighted that policies must be co-created with farmers, science must guide the transition, finance must be accessible, and partnerships across the food system are essential.

In his closing remarks, WFO President Arnold Puech d’Alissac reflected on the collective outcome of the two-day Summit, emphasising that “the Summit demonstrated the strength of farmer leadership when they are at the table — sharing openly, listening respectfully, and collaborating for long-term, global impact.”

With COP30 now underway in Belém, the outcomes of the COP30 Farmers’ Summit are already informing WFO’s engagement in the negotiations. The priorities and evidence shared in Brasilia are reinforcing a clear message within the COP30 process: meaningful climate action is only possible when farmers — the implementers on the ground — are recognised, consulted, and supported as central partners in delivering global climate goals.

Read the full outcome document from the Farmers’ Dialogue here.

Cover photo: ©WFO. Daniel Fagundes/Trilux