Agriculture and food systems feature prominently in the official UNFCCC side-event programme, with discussions addressing agroecology, climate-resilient agriculture, agricultural finance, biodiversity, food security and the transition towards healthier and more sustainable diets.
A central theme emerging from the programmed side events is the need to move from climate commitments to practical implementation, ensuring that farmers, research institutions and local communities can access the finance, technologies, knowledge and partnerships required to transform agrifood systems. The programme also highlights the importance of addressing trade-offs between mitigation, adaptation, biodiversity conservation and affordable nutrition.
The COP31 side-event programme demonstrates the growing recognition that agricultural transformation requires more than climate-smart technologies alone. It calls for stronger connections between scientific research, farmers' knowledge, public policies, market incentives and financing mechanisms. Agroecology, agricultural biodiversity, circular bioeconomies and sustainable food value chains are increasingly being discussed as interconnected components of climate action rather than separate policy agendas.
The following selection highlights scheduled side events particularly relevant to agricultural research and innovation.
9 November – Water for Climate Resilience: From the 2026 SCF Forum to COP31 and the 2026 UN Water Conference
Organised with the participation of IFAD, ICIMOD, Nepal and Bhutan, this event will examine climate-resilient water management, financing and institutional cooperation, including implications for resilient food systems. Announced speakers include Álvaro Lario (President, IFAD), Rania Al-Mashat (ESCWA), Hani Sewilam (Egypt), Sonja Köppel (UNECE) and Anil Mishra (UNESCO).
10 November – Advancing Agroecology in Just Transition for Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems and Agriculture
Organised by Pesticide Action Network Asia Pacific and partners, this session will present agroecology as a pathway towards a just transition in agriculture. Speakers are expected from the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA), African governments, farmers' organisations and youth movements.
10 November – National Agroecology Strategies: Brazil, Türkiye and Africa Towards COP31 Implementation
Organised by Instituto Regenera, Biovision and the Food of Tomorrow Institute, this session will explore how national agroecology strategies, public food procurement and government–civil society cooperation can translate climate commitments into action. Listed speakers include Francine Xavier, Fabrício Muriana, Oliver Oliveros, Ahmet Sami and Lilian Rahal (Brazilian Ministry of Social Development), alongside an African agroecology representative.
11 November – Scaling Climate Finance for Resilient Agrifood Systems Facing Extreme Heat and El Niño-related Shocks
Organised by FAO, this session will explore investment opportunities and innovative financing mechanisms to strengthen agricultural adaptation and food security. Speakers are listed from FAO, Australia, Türkiye, Kenya, Germany, the African Development Bank, the World Bank, the African Centre for Biodiversity and Olam International.
11 November – Unlocking Means of Implementation for Climate-Resilient Agriculture and Food Systems
This event will focus on finance, technology, capacity development, sustainable land and water management, ecosystem restoration and youth- and Indigenous-led solutions. Listed speakers include Abdulhamid Tahir Hamid (GECCI/NIPPF), Victor Fodeke (GREENPLINTH Africa), Margaret Bondziedu Impraim (YCCGA) and Sebastian Pedraza (YPARD Global).
11 November – Agri-food Systems under Climate Change: Incentives for Affordable, Healthy, Sustainable Food
This event brings together Clim-Eat, AgriCord, FANRPAN, the Southern African Confederation of Agricultural Unions (SACAU) and Wageningen Research. It will examine incentives for farmers to adopt climate-resilient practices while addressing food affordability, nutrition, biodiversity and the trade-offs involved in agrifood transformation.
Announced speakers are Carlos Alvarado Quesada (former President of Costa Rica), Tshilidzi Madzivhandila (FANRPAN), Jan Verhagen (Wageningen University & Research), Ishmael Sunga (SACAU), Leanne Zeppenfeldt (Clim-Eat), Katja Vuori (AgriCord) and Orhan Solak (Türkiye Directorate of Climate Change).
14 November – The Critical Middle, Circularity and Zero Waste: Building Climate-Resilient Food Systems
Organised by UNIDO and partners, this event will launch the Critical Middle Coalition and explore investments in processing, storage, logistics and waste reduction. It draws attention to the often-overlooked enterprises and infrastructure linking agricultural production with consumers. Speakers are expected from governments, UN organisations, development finance institutions, businesses and circular-economy organisations.
16 November – Delivering the Green Transition for Food Security: From Climate Ambition to Farm-Level Action
This session will explore efficient nutrient management, low-emission rice production, agricultural policies, investment and partnerships. Listed participating organisations include the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Environmental Defense Fund, World Farmers' Organisation, AGRA, Yara, the World Bank, Agroicone and the Carbon Trust.
16 November – Unlocking the Means of Implementation for Agriculture and Food Security
Organised by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, Compassion in World Farming, EIT Food, the U.S. Dairy Export Council and the World Farmers' Organisation, this event will examine how finance, technology transfer and capacity development can support the implementation of climate action in agriculture. It builds on the Sharm el-Sheikh Joint Work on Implementation of Climate Action on Agriculture and Food Security (SJWA).
Announced speakers and participants include Andrea Perez Valdez (Compassion in World Farming), Richard Zaltzman (EIT Food), representatives of the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT and FAO, government representatives, farmers' organisations and Indigenous Peoples.
17 November – Integrated Security and Climate Change: Building Resilience Amid Geopolitical Challenges
With the participation of ICARDA, this session will examine the relationship between climate change, food systems, security and international cooperation. Listed speakers include Ban Ki-moon (former UN Secretary-General), Bakyt Dzhusupov (OSCE), Hans-Otto Pörtner (former IPCC Working Group II Co-Chair), Sabine Schlacke (University of Greifswald), Nizar Haddad (ICARDA) and Vinay Nangia (ICARDA), with Central Asian ministerial representatives to be confirmed.
18 November – Scaling the Circular Bioeconomy: Agricultural Solutions to Climate Change
This event will discuss how agriculture can contribute to circular bioeconomies through food, renewable energy, biobased materials, greenhouse gas reduction and ecosystem services. Announced speakers include Ernie Shea (Solutions from the Land), Sally Higgins (COP31 Youth Champion), Muhammad Ibrahim (IICA), Verity Ulibarri (US farmer), Tarun Richards (Australian farmer), Ed Barnes (CBS Institute), Francis Owusu (Centre for Rural Livelihoods, Uganda), Juan Sacoto (S&P Global) and Kaveh Zahedi (FAO).
CGIAR @ COP 31
CGIAR and the EvalforEarth community are preparing a strong collaborative presence for the 2026 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP31), which will take place in Antalya, Türkiye, from November 9 to 20, 2026.
- EvalforEarth’s Role: EvalforEarth is a merged Community of Practice focused on climate action, food security, agriculture, and rural development. It is co-sponsored by the Evaluation Offices of CGIAR, FAO, WFP, and the GEF.
- The Shared Mission: At COP31, these organizations aim to ensure that climate policy decisions are rooted in strict, evidence-based evaluation. By bringing data from agricultural research to the forefront, they advocate for agrifood systems to be treated as primary climate solutions
FAO @ COP 31
For FAO, COP31 provides a key platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing and decision-making on the critical role of agriculture and food systems in climate action. Agrifood systems solutions are climate solutions. As a central pillar of climate action, they help build resilience, support adaptation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while safeguarding biodiversity and ensuring food security for all.
Schedule of event will soon be available
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