WFO President Highlights Farmers’ Central Role in Nutrition and Climate at N4G High-Level Event

On the eve of the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit, Arnold Puech d’Alissac, President of the World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO), addressed the High-level Event “Private Sector and Nutrition: Everyone’s Business.”

Organised by the Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNi), the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and the Paris Peace Forum, the event brought together key stakeholders to explore how better to align nutrition and climate objectives within agri-food systems.

Opening with a personal and disarming remark, the WFO President stated: “I may be dressed like a banker, but I am a farmer,” setting the tone for a farmer-centric contribution. He introduced WFO as the global voice of farmers, representing worldwide. “We work for the interests of farmers. We are farmer-driven, science-based, and solution-oriented,” he continued.

Mr Puech d’Alissac highlighted that farmers are uniquely positioned to promote healthier diets by producing diverse, nutritious foods and advocating for balanced dietary habits. “When it comes to diets, we must consider both plant-based and animal-based products — both are fundamental.”

Turning to the nature of farming itself, the WFO President explained that returns on investment in agriculture often take a generation or more. Even building a fence, he added, requires a long-term land contract, which many farmers in Africa simply do not have.

“We often say we do not own the land — we borrow it from our children,” he said. But in regions affected by conflict, land tenure insecurity, and climate-induced migration, such long-term planning becomes nearly impossible. He referenced the situation in Ghana, where climate-driven livestock migration is creating growing tensions among communities.

The WFO President called for greater international recognition of these challenges, expressing solidarity with farmers in fragile and politically unstable areas such as Ukraine, Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, and parts of Nigeria and Ghana, where the ability to invest in the future is deeply compromised. “When your entire way of life is unsustainable — both for your land and your livelihood — it’s devastating.”

©WFO

Reflecting on the economic challenge of transitioning to sustainable practices, he raised concerns over the lack of effective incentives to support climate action in agriculture. “The voluntary carbon market is too weak. At €20, €25 or even €40 per ton, it’s not enough. At €80 per ton, we will do it,” he said, reinforcing the need for stronger policy frameworks to make sustainability viable.

He also shared a striking comment from farmers in the Congo, who are told about carbon markets while lacking basic equipment like tractors. This, he noted, highlights how discussions on carbon credits, climate mitigation, and emissions trading must be grounded in farmers’ realities.

Mr Puech d’Alissac also pointed to the absence of market signals that would reward sustainable practices. “You walk into the same shop and see sustainable and non-sustainable products side by side. The only difference is the price. The average consumer is not equipped to make the right choice,” he said. He underlined the urgent need for retailers to step up and participate in critical conversations on sustainability.

In the context of regenerative agriculture, the WFO President acknowledged the potential for climate-neutral livestock. “Beef, chicken or pork can become increasingly climate neutral.” He praised countries like New Zealand and Denmark for investing in innovation and supporting farmers through the transition. “But New Zealand and Denmark are high-income countries. What about the others?”

He noted that while farmers globally are moving towards more sustainable approaches, “not fast enough”, they know they must change if future generations are to continue farming. “They need to adopt solutions, new approaches.”

Drawing from his own farm experience, he shared a practical example: “We planted one kilometer of hedgerows last year. We grow fewer crops now — much different from when I started 35 years ago. We’ve had to change the way we work — and we see results.” He continued: “Two of my children are now my partners, and a third wants to join. When you know someone will continue after you, you embrace better practices.”

The WFO President’s participation reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to advocating for the recognition of the indispensable role of farmers as leaders in the fight against hunger and malnutrition, stewards of the environment, and their empowerment as agents of change. Supporting them means securing both food production and climate resilience. The future of food systems depends on inclusive collaboration. Governments, businesses, and farmers must work together to build a sustainable, nutrition-secure world.

Farmers worldwide stand ready to collaborate with all stakeholders who recognise the value of farm labour and respect local food traditions and production systems.