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Press Release
Investing in the climate resilience of smallholder farmers would cost less than maintaining harmful global agricultural subsidies, according to a new analysis released ahead of the COP30 climate summit.
The study, conducted by Climate Focus on behalf of Family Farmers for Climate Action, a global alliance representing 95 million small producers across Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Pacific, estimates that US$443 billion annually is needed to help smallholder farmers adapt to climate change. These farmers, who cultivate 10 hectares or less, produce roughly half of the world’s food calories.
According to the report, the annual adaptation cost per one-hectare farm averages US$952, or about US$2.19 per day. The total amount is less than the US$470 billion the UN says is currently spent on agricultural subsidies that harm the environment and human health. It is also equivalent to roughly one-third of the US$1.4 trillion developing countries paid in debt service in 2023.
Despite the critical role smallholders play in global food production, funding for their climate adaptation remains minimal. In 2021, only US$1.59 billion—just 0.36% of the estimated need—was directed toward such efforts. The study also found that smallholder farmers themselves spend between 20% and 40% of their annual income, or about US$368 billion collectively, on adaptation measures.
Elizabeth Nsimadala, President of the East African Farmers Federation (EAFF), representing 25 million farmers, said supporting smallholders is essential for global food security.
“This is not charity, but an investment in the food security of people around the world,” she said. “Smallholder farmers produce half of the world’s food calories and provide livelihoods for 2.5 billion people. Investing in their adaptation benefits everyone.”
From Brazil, agroforestry farmer Thales Mendonça of the Intercontinental Network of Organic Farmers’ Organizations emphasized the ecological value of supporting family farmers.
“Investing in smallholder farmers is not just an economic necessity; it’s an ecological imperative,” he said. “We are pioneering practices like agroecology that build resilience by restoring nature’s safety net.”
Adaptation is expected to be a central focus at COP30, where negotiators aim to finalize indicators for tracking progress toward global adaptation goals. However, the current draft does not include specific indicators on financing for smallholder farmers, raising concerns among farmer organizations about equitable funding access.
Esther Penunia, Secretary General of the Asian Farmers Association (AFA), representing 12 million farmers, called on governments to increase adaptation financing.
“Governments must agree to a significant rise in adaptation funding to protect our farms from storms, droughts, and heatwaves,” she said. “Direct access to finance through farmer organizations and a new dedicated resilience fund are key to achieving this.”
Similarly, Ibrahima Coulibaly, Board Chair of the Network of Farmers’ and Agricultural Producers’ Organizations of West Africa (ROPPA), urged concrete action.
“Every dollar of direct support to farmers is a shield against hunger,” he said. “The time for promises is over—it is urgent to move toward massive, direct financing for farmers to sustain food production.”
Under Brazil’s COP30 presidency, the summit’s action agenda aims to mobilize financing for sustainable and resilient agricultural practices, such as agroecology, and to amplify the voices of family farmers in discussions on climate finance, loss and damage, and a just transition.
