Farmers are key to fighting climate change – it’s time we gave them the support they deserve

The author contends that farmers are essential agents for climate mitigation but have been historically excluded from formal climate negotiations. While recent events like COP30 and the G20 have begun to integrate food systems into discussions, the author argues that agricultural activity—which accounts for about a third of global greenhouse gas emissions—receives less than 3% of public climate finance. The text proposes a 'farmer-first' framework based on four pillars: Pay (rewards for carbon capture and biodiversity), Protect (subsidies and insurance), Procure (market access for sustainable produce), and Promote (digital tools and training). Examples of successful implementation include the EU's Common Agricultural Policy eco-schemes, parametric weather-risk insurance for rice farmers in Guyana, and water-saving irrigation practices in Andhra Pradesh, India. The author emphasizes the urgent need to scale these solutions in the Global South, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South-East Asia.

• Agricultural activity is a major contributor to global emissions, yet it is severely underfunded in public climate finance, receiving less than 3% of such funding despite accounting for approximately one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions.
• Widespread adoption of sustainable farming practices across 2.6 billion hectares of agricultural land could remove over 3 billion tons of CO2 annually, which is equivalent to the emissions produced by all the world's cars.
• The author proposes a four-pillar framework to support farmers: 'Pay' to reward carbon capture and biodiversity; 'Protect' via subsidies and insurance against extreme weather; 'Procure' to improve access to sustainable markets; and 'Promote' through the scaling of digital tools and training.
• Specific successful interventions include the EU's requirement that at least 25% of a member state's direct payments under the Common Agricultural Policy go to eco-schemes, and the implementation of parametric weather-risk insurance for 6,000 rice farmers in Guyana.
• In Andhra Pradesh, India, the use of 'alternate wetting and drying' in rice fields led to a nearly 30% reduction in water use and a sharp decrease in methane emissions.

APA

Shroff, J. (2026). Farmers are key to fighting climate change – it’s time we gave them the support they deserve. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/farmers-are-key-to-fighting-climate-change/

Chicago

Shroff, Jai. Farmers are key to fighting climate change – it’s time we gave them the support they deserve. World Economic Forum, 2026. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/farmers-are-key-to-fighting-climate-change/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Shroff |first1=Jai |title=Farmers are key to fighting climate change – it’s time we gave them the support they deserve |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=16 January 2026 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/farmers-are-key-to-fighting-climate-change/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{shroff2026farmers, author = {Shroff, Jai}, title = {{Farmers are key to fighting climate change – it’s time we gave them the support they deserve}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2026}, month = jan, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/farmers-are-key-to-fighting-climate-change/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }