WFO joined global partners in an official side event during CFS53 to highlight the need for farmer-centred approaches in climate and biodiversity investments that advance the right to food and sustainable diets.

During the 53rd Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS 53), held at FAO Headquarters, the World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO) addressed an official side event on harnessing climate and biodiversity investments to realise the right to food for healthy diets and a sustainable planet.

Hosted by FAO, the Government of Quebec, and the World Bank, the event brought together governments, farmers’ organisations, financial institutions, and research partners to explore how climate and biodiversity finance can better support sustainable and resilient food systems.

Speaking on behalf of the global farming community, WFO Secretary General Dr Andrea Porro underlined that the right to food, climate action, and biodiversity protection are interlinked imperatives.

“The right to food is not only about access to nutrients, but also about access to healthy, diverse, and farm-produced diets,” he said. “To realise that right, investments in climate and biodiversity must be designed with farmers, for farmers, and grounded in local agricultural realities.”

©WFO

Dr Porro recalled that millions of producers are often left out of investment decisions shaping their livelihoods and the planet’s health. He pointed to examples within the WFO farmer organisations’ network where transformation is already taking place — from young farmers in Brazil regenerating soils through no-till farming and crop–livestock–forestry integration, to farmers in Botswana co-designing solutions that restore degraded lands and revitalise rural communities.

From these experiences, he outlined three key priorities to guide future action: aligning climate and biodiversity finance with the right to food; ensuring farmers and their organisations are involved from the outset of investment design; and promoting equitable access to finance and innovation for women and young farmers.

Dr Porro also called for greater policy coherence, urging governments and financial institutions to align national climate and biodiversity strategies with food and nutrition goals, and to recognise farmers as central actors in implementation.

Food production cannot be treated as separate from the climate and biodiversity agendas. The World Farmers’ Organisation stands ready to work with UN agencies, governments, financial institutions, and the private sector to ensure that climate and biodiversity investments deliver for farmers, for consumers, and for the planet.

Cover photo: ©WFO