Farmers’ Constituency Delivers Strong Call at SJWA Workshop during UNFCCC SB62 in Bonn.

At the first workshop under the Sharm el-Sheikh Joint Work on Implementation of Climate Action on Agriculture and Food Security (SJWA) held during the 62nd Sessions of the UN Climate Change Subsidiary Bodies (SB62) in Bonn, the UNFCCC Farmers’ Constituency—a broad and diverse network of over 70 global, regional, and national farmers’ organisations and agricultural NGOs coordinated by the World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO), delivered a strong and unified call for farmers to be recognised as central actors in global climate policy and finance.

The Sharm el-Sheikh Joint Work on Agriculture is the only sector-specific workstream under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). However, over the past few years, discussions have been overly procedural, with some stakeholders questioning the workstream’s relevance. The Bonn workshop offered a critical opportunity for the Farmers’ Constituency to advocate for shifting the focus towards practical, inclusive, and systemic approaches and to foster fair and equitable partnerships across and beyond the value chain.

While welcoming the workshop and the recognition of farmers as critical partners – not just observers – in designing and delivering effective climate action, the Farmers’ Constituency urged Parties and stakeholders to move beyond rhetorical inclusion and ensure farmers are meaningfully involved at every level of climate action in agriculture and food systems.

Delivering the official statement on behalf of the Constituency, Elizabeth Nsimadala, former WFO Board Member for Africa and President of the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF), described the daily realities of climate change experienced by farmers—from droughts, floods, and shifting seasons to salinisation, pest outbreaks, and declining productivity. “Across the globe, the climate crisis is not a distant concern—it is our daily reality,” Nsimadala stated. “Yet far too often, farmers are seen as passive beneficiaries rather than what we are—ambitious agents of change.”

The Farmers’ Constituency emphasised that farmers are continuously seeking out practices that protect soils, water, biodiversity, food production, and profitability—not based on labels such as regenerative agriculture, agroecology, or climate-smart agriculture, but on what works in practice. It stressed the need for approaches that are economically viable, ecologically sound, and socially inclusive.

From natural pond systems co-designed by farming communities in Cambodia to experimentation with nitrogen fertiliser alternatives in the United Kingdom, the Constituency highlighted how farmers are open to innovation grounded in practical experience. “Yet far too often, we are still seen as passive beneficiaries,” Nsimadala added.

The Farmers’ Constituency outlined five key pathways for integrating systemic and holistic approaches into the SJWA:

1. A shift in mindset: Farmers must be seen and treated as co-creators, implementers, and innovators of climate solutions and integrated fully into the planning, financing, and monitoring of climate action.
2. Work with farmer organisations and cooperatives: These are trusted, community-rooted structures ready to deliver last-mile support—particularly to women, youth, and Indigenous producers.
3. Access to available, predictable, and appropriate finance: Farmers need grants, not just loans, and tailored instruments that respond to the realities of rural economies. The Constituency also called for direct access channels and a permanent observer seat on the Loss and Damage Fund Board (FRLD).
4. Co-definition of indicators and metrics: Success must be measured based on locally relevant and farmer-informed frameworks, supported by strong research partnerships to assess vulnerability, track progress, and quantify the costs of climate impacts on agriculture.
5. Stable and enabling policy environments: Long-term, coherent strategies are vital for building confidence among farmers and unlocking investment. Short-term or reactive policy shifts risk undermining the progress that has been made.

The statement also called for increased investment in:

• Climate-resilient infrastructure, early warning systems, and weather-indexed insurance.
• Strengthened national research and extension systems in collaboration with farmer organisations, with a focus on co-creation and the integration of Indigenous and traditional knowledge.
• Affordable data systems and farmer-led knowledge exchange platforms.

“Farmers are already adapting, innovating, and leading the transformation of agriculture,” Nsimadala concluded. “The future of agriculture is not a burden to be managed—it is a global opportunity for food security, resilience, and prosperity. We urge you to connect climate goals and this joint work with farmers’ everyday realities. Let us move from dialogue to delivery, with farmers at the centre.”

Screenshot from the event “First Workshop in 2025 under the Sharm el-Sheikh Dialogue on the scope of Article 2, paragraph 1(c), and its complementarity with Article 9 of the Paris Agreement″; Image courtesy of UN Climate Change