COP30: From Crisis to Catalysts: Financing Locally Led Climate Action for Smallholders

Smallholder farmers—who produce one-third of the world’s food and manage some of the most climate-critical landscapes—face a $170 billion annual financing gap. Yet in 2023, agriculture and forestry received only 1.4% of global climate finance, leaving frontline producers without the resources to withstand increasingly severe climate shocks.

This financing shortfall threatens progress on ambitious NDC 3.0 pathways. With agriculture responsible for 25% of global emissions and 84% of farms managed by smallholders, failing to invest in these actors risks locking in food system vulnerabilities, increasing emissions, undermining adaptation goals, and widening climate inequities.

Our session will underscore the urgent need for accelerated climate action by advancing locally led adaptation as a cornerstone of NDC 3.0 implementation—and by unlocking the finance required to make it real. We will highlight the importance of shifting resources directly to local institutions and smallholder producers, where finance can drive the greatest gains in resilience, equity, and climate ambition. The discussion will touch upon innovative financing models and locally rooted initiatives that center on smallholders and demonstrate how channeling funds to the frontline can deliver more effective, scalable pathways for adaptation, resilience, and nature-based outcomes.