COP29 told global climate funds failing grassroots farmers
The research has been published during the Food, Agriculture, and Water Day at the UN Climate Summit (COP29).
The report, Money Well Spent?, published by Family Farmers for Climate Action, critiques the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) for excluding family farmers—who produce up to 80% of Asia’s food and 70% of Africa’s.
The findings reveal that none of the projects analyzed provided direct funding to farmers or their organizations, and fewer than 20% involved farmers in decision-making on project priorities, design, and implementation.
“Restrictive policies ensure grassroots organizations have no meaningful control over how we adapt and build climate resilience,” said Esther Penunia, secretary general of the Asian Farmers Association. “This blinkered approach is holding back the fight against hunger and climate change.”
GCF and GEF manage climate finance contributions from donor countries, regions, and cities. GCF, the world’s largest climate fund, has committed US$15bn to adaptation and mitigation projects to date. GEF, which serves as a fund for the three UN conventions on climate, biodiversity, and desertification, has invested over US$25bn.
Analyzing 40 climate and biodiversity projects, researchers found that complex application processes hinder small-scale farmers from accessing funds. For example, GCF funding applications require up to 22 supporting documents, including, in one case, criminal background checks for all employees of the applicant farmer organization.
Between 2019 and 2022, GEF and GCF allocated US$2.6bn to agriculture, fishing, and forestry, but only a third was used to help small-scale farmers adopt sustainable, climate-resilient practices.
Calls for reform
The COP29 presidency highlighted the pivotal role of family farmers in food system adaptation by launching the Harmoniya Climate Initiative for Farmers. Advocates, including researchers and farmers’ organizations, urged a revision of GCF and GEF policies to ensure direct financing for grassroots initiatives.
“It is difficult to see how a just and sustainable rural transition will happen without direct financing of small-holder farmer organizations,” said Duncan Macqueen, director of Forests at the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). “Unclogging GEF and GCF pipes is critical.”
As extreme weather disrupts harvests worldwide—from Zambia’s devastating drought to Philippine floods destroying 50,000 hectares of farmland—the need for effective climate finance is urgent. Yet, in 2021-2022, only 14% of international public climate finance for agriculture targeted small-scale farmers—far below the estimated $170-$189bn required annually for sustainable food systems.
Stephen Muchiri, CEO of the Eastern African Farmers Federation, emphasized the stakes: “We need an ambitious finance deal at COP29 to safeguard our food system and ensure everyone has enough to eat in a changing climate. But it’s equally important that any available finance is well spent.”
The summit aims to agree on a new climate finance goal, with estimates suggesting that transforming food systems could cost $200-$500bn annually but yield up to $10 trillion in benefits for health, livelihoods, and the environment.
