At the 2025 Copenhagen Climate Ministerial, the UNFCCC Farmers’ Constituency—coordinated by the World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO)—delivered a clear and urgent call to prioritise climate adaptation, access to finance, and inclusive governance in the lead-up to COP30 in Belém, Brazil.

Co-hosted by the Government of Denmark and the incoming and outgoing COP Presidencies, the Ministerial brought together around 40 ministers, global leaders and representatives from the UNFCCC Observer Constituencies to reflect on the outcomes of COP29 and lay the groundwork for COP30, to be held in Belém, Brazil.

The Farmers’ Constituency was represented by Niels Peter Nørring, Director of Climate and EU Policy at the Danish Agriculture and Food Council (DAFC), a WFO member organisation. Speaking during the session on Climate Adaptation and Resilience, he underscored that farmers face increasingly severe climate-related challenges, from droughts to flooding and rising temperatures. While farmers are already responding to the impacts of climate change, their capacity to adapt must no longer be taken for granted. Support systems, frameworks, and investments must keep pace with realities on the ground.

The intervention highlighted key areas of concern:

• The need for adaptation frameworks and indicators that reflect the diversity of agricultural systems and integrate farmers’ knowledge, while accounting for data access constraints and administrative burdens.
• Scaling up investment in practical, farm-level solutions, including irrigation, drainage, flood protection, infrastructure, and farmer-to-farmer support.
• Providing technical assistance and strengthening capacities for data collection, planning, and sustainable practices.
• Guaranteeing direct and simplified access to climate finance for farmers and their organisations.
• Ensuring that the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage prioritises agriculture, and securing a permanent observer seat for the Farmers’ Constituency on the Fund’s Board.
• Integrating food security, water, and health into national adaptation priorities and improving coordination among financing mechanisms.

The Constituency’s representative also underlined that adaptation is a shared global challenge, affecting both developed and developing countries, and that resources must reach the most vulnerable areas. The breakout discussion confirmed a broad consensus on the need to move beyond identifying problems and towards delivering concrete solutions.

As momentum builds toward COP30, WFO and the Farmers’ Constituency remain committed to ensuring that farmers are recognised as key actors in global climate action and that their priorities are fully reflected in future climate decisions.

Image courtesy of Niels Peter Nørring (Landbrug & Fødevarer). Copyright not verified.