Authored by FOLU’s International Policy and Engagement Team
As the world turns its eyes to Belém this year, one thing is clear: COP30 has the potential to be a watershed moment for food systems.
With Brazil holding the presidency as both an agricultural powerhouse as well as home to the Amazon rainforest and other critical ecosystems such as the Cerrado, the stage is set to show how coherent land-use policies can deliver for climate, nature, and people alike. For the first time, we may see food systems take center stage in a way that meaningfully links the Rio Conventions, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the Paris Agreement.
But political leadership alone is not enough. As civil society, we have a critical role to play to bring other countries to the table and show up with one voice to demand ambition, coherence and implementation.
On 23 October, FOLU, the Climate Champions, and the UN Foundation will host a civil society dialogue on the COP30 food systems agenda — a chance to connect, coordinate, and shape the message. Join us here.
Brazil’s leadership potential
The Brazilian Presidency is putting forward a holistic food systems agenda through both Axis 3 of the COP30 Action Agenda and the wider negotiations. Beneath the language of “granaries”, “acceleration plans” and “thematic areas” lies a simple truth: this COP is about accelerating what already works — scaling proven solutions that deliver for people and planet. Here are the five key moments to watch:
- Implementable NDCs and coherent policies
Nearly 100 countries plan to submit new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) ahead of COP30. Following the UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems and Climate Action, the expectation is clear: food systems must be embedded in every country’s climate targets. What’s more, Biennial Transparency Reports will shed light on where ambition meets action — and where gaps remain.
Country members of the Alliance of Champions for Food Systems Transformation — co-chaired by Brazil alongside Norway and Sierra Leone — are leading the charge with robust and holistic food systems-inclusive NDCs. Cambodia’s NDC3.0, for instance, is a standout. It fully integrates all 10 ACF action areas, is the first in the region to feature a dedicated food systems section, and backs this by costing USD 45 million for food systems (with USD 960 million for agriculture and USD 123 million for forests and other land use).
Under the Action Agenda, the civil society community is mobilizing to spotlight how coherent and well-governed policies can translate ambition into real-world results. Mechanisms like the Food Systems Transformation Accelerator, co-hosted by GAIN and the FAO, aim to support up to 50 countries by 2030 to align policy, finance and accountability for measurable impact on the ground.
- Financing for land restoration and sustainable agriculture
Brazil has developed an innovative solution to finance sustainable agriculture practices for farmland restoration. Earlier this year, through Eco Invest, Brazil mobilized USD 6 billion in public and private finance to restore 3 million hectares of degraded pastureland. Other countries’ initiatives apply similar principles, such as Colombia’s FINAGRO and Rwanda’s FONERWA programmes.
Brazil is now stepping up efforts to attract climate finance for farmland restoration and to promote sustainable agriculture worldwide. In partnership with FOLU, FAO, and others, the Ministry of Agriculture is preparing to launch RAIZ (Resilient Agriculture Investment for Net-Zero Land Degradation) at COP30. The initiative will help countries develop practical systems to direct climate funding to farmers who are restoring their land.
This acceleration comes at a symbolic moment — the midpoint of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and in light of stronger integration between the Rio Conventions following the Riyadh Action Agenda and Montreal-Kunming Framework. It also aligns with initiatives such as the Tropical Forest Forever Facility and the renewed Forest Tenure Pledge 2.0 to demonstrate how a coherent, well-financed land-use approach can benefit climate, nature, and people.
Brazil is taking this commitment literally to the table: the Na Mesa da COP30 Food Initiative will ensure that at least 30% of all food served at COP30 comes from family farmers, agroecological producers, and Amazonian biodiversity supply chains.
- More resilient and adaptive food systems
Adaptation has emerged a key pillar for COP30 — with deep relevance for food systems. The UNFCCC expert group has just finalized the first-ever global set of 100 adaptation indicators under the UAE Framework on Global Climate Resilience. For food and land, these metrics will provide a vital framework to measure progress on adaptation — from farm-level resilience to ecosystem restoration and food security outcomes. The question is how can these indicators be used to scale adaptation solutions?
Brazil’s Ministries of Agrarian Development and Fisheries are placing family farmers and fisherfolk front and center — recognizing their frontline role in adaptation. They will be showcasing solutions from aquaculture to sustainable forest commodities to illustrate how family farmers can be equipped to thrive amid a changing climate.
- Equitable access to food and nutrition for all
Expect nutrition and equity to feature strongly on the COP30 agenda. Building on the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty launched at the G20 in Rio, Brazil’s Ministry of Social Development is preparing the Belém Declaration on Hunger and Poverty — a political statement to embed food security and social protection at the heart of climate action.
The Global Alliance had already outlined a basket of tested solutions from (regenerative) school meals to land tenure agreements that can deliver nutrition security and alleviate poverty. Under the Action Agenda, a new acceleration plan proposes a series of engagements to build awareness, knowledge, and capacity at the nexus of climate change and food security.
- A fertilizer breakthrough
There are strong indications that fertilizer is finally making a breakthrough. As one of the world’s largest fertilizer markets, Brazil is advancing low-carbon, bio-based solutions that cut emissions and improve soil health. A new international partnership with the UK Government is helping accelerate sustainable fertilizer production and innovation. Expect COP30 to showcase a breakthrough, with governments and international organizations, deepening cooperation to decarbonize this critical — and often overlooked — solution.
Building momentum together
Across the board, civil society has been instrumental in getting food systems onto the COP30 agenda — from submitting acceleration plans to spurring country-level action and ambition. But as we move closer to Belém, the challenge is to speak with a unified voice. COP30 is Brazil’s chance to show that forests and food can thrive together — that the future of climate action lies not in competition but in collaboration.
Join the Mutirão on 23 October to help shape the agenda that will define the next decade of climate action on food and land. Let’s make sure food systems deliver for people, nature, and climate — together.
