As climate and geopolitical pressures reshape food systems, WFO at Davos 2026 highlights why farmers are central to global food security and climate resilience.

The President of the World Farmers’ Organisation, Arnold Puech d’Alissac, participated in the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, held in Davos from 19 to 23 January 2026, bringing farmers’ perspectives into global discussions on economic resilience, climate action and innovation.

Held under the theme “A Spirit of Dialogue”, the Annual Meeting took place against a backdrop of growing geopolitical uncertainty, climate-related extreme weather events and mounting pressure on global agrifood value chains. In this context, the WFO President stressed that future transitions will only succeed if farmers are treated as partners in change, not as the shock absorbers of global ambition.

Across his interventions during the week, the WFO President reiterated that a farmer-driven approach is the first priority, and it is unanimously shared by farmers’ organisations. This does not mean positioning farmers merely as the central target of policies and programmes, but ensuring that they are involved from the outset in the design and co-creation of agricultural policies and solutions that directly affect their livelihoods and the sustainability of food systems.

This principle is closely linked to the issue of risk-sharing and access to finance. The WFO President underlined the need for tailored financial instruments capable of delivering concrete results for farmers, including approaches that allow farmers to mobilise collateral based on farming business cycles rather than land ownership alone. Without such instruments, he warned, the costs of transition risk fall disproportionately on farmers, undermining both productivity and long-term resilience.

©2026 World Economic Forum / Harold Cunningham

To address this imbalance, the WFO President stressed that strong partnerships are at the core of any successful process, whether in agricultural carbon markets or across food value chains. If systemic impact is to be achieved, a systematic approach is required—one that aligns policy objectives, market incentives and on-the-ground realities.

Within this framework, the partnership between WFO and Nestlé was referenced in Davos as an example of constructive cooperation between farmers and industry. Representing farmers globally and a company sourcing directly from producers, the two organisations are joining efforts to help create food systems that work for people and the planet by strengthening rural economies, supporting innovation and contributing to fairer market conditions.

Across discussions in Davos, WFO consistently brought the focus back to how sustainability ambitions translate into realities at the farm level. From the farmers’ perspective, as highlighted by WFO during the week, regenerative agriculture is understood as a practical pathway rather than a theoretical agenda. Rooted in long-term productivity, water resilience, and biodiversity, regeneration is seen as a way to manage risk while improving sustainability outcomes. When supported by appropriate incentives, fair contracts and access to finance, regenerative practices can contribute to more stable yields over time and reduced exposure to climate shocks. However, significant barriers remain, including upfront transition costs, limited technical assistance, complex measurement and verification (MMRV) requirements, and uncertain demand and price premiums, which make it difficult for farmers to assess whether markets will reward their efforts.

Discussions in Davos also addressed the role of digitalisation and artificial intelligence as potential enablers of this transition. While there is growing recognition that AI-powered solutions may contribute to addressing productivity, sustainability and resilience challenges in agriculture, poor connectivity and low levels of digital literacy continue to hinder adoption. The WFO President cautioned that data collection and reporting requirements risk becoming an additional administrative burden, stressing that farmers must retain agency over their data and be fairly compensated for its value.

Alongside his public interventions, the WFO President engaged in a series of strategic bilateral meetings during the Annual Meeting, fostering dialogue with institutional and private-sector partners and exploring opportunities for further collaboration.

©2026 World Economic Forum / Ciaran McCrickard

The WFO presence in Davos also included Ana Carolina Zimmermann, a young farmer leader from Brazil and a former participant in Gymnasium, WFO’s flagship capacity-development programme. As part of her engagement, she participated in the official WEF session “When Food Becomes Security”, which explored how extreme weather events, supply chain disruptions and market volatility are reshaping global food systems and elevating food to a matter of economic and geopolitical security. Contributing to the discussion, she noted that “taking care of farmers means taking care of food security.”

Through its engagement at Davos 2026, WFO reaffirmed a clear position: global food system transformation depends on farmer-driven solutions and strong collaboration across the food value chain, ensuring that those who produce food are empowered to shape—rather than absorb—the transition ahead.

Cover photo by ©2026 World Economic Forum / Harold Cunningham