A quarter of the planet’s GHG emissions are attributed to the agriculture sector. Yet not all forms of agriculture are the same. IPCC reports highlight that ecosystem-based approaches to agriculture such as agroecology can promote carbon sequestration and strengthen the resilience of food systems against climate change, while supporting biodiversity, food security, nutrition and livelihoods. Such approaches are predominantly based in the agricultural practices of smallholder / family farmers and similar groups, whose lifestyles and livelihoods are based on long-term engagement with their lands and local ecosystems, and biological processes as opposed to large scale industrial agriculture, which are the drivers of destructive land use changes and significant carbon emissions. Smallholder / family farmers also supply around 70% of the food consumed in the world. Despite their contribution and important role, only 2% of current global climate funds are allocated to them. Hence, the need to recognize and support them as crucial partners of climate actions to protect biodiversity and strengthen food security. At the centre of such recognition lie two critical and deeply intertwined requirements, namely a) secure land tenure rights of smallholder / family farmers; b) the necessary financing to invest in, protect and restore their land, improve sustainable farming techniques, including agroecology, to fight against land degradation and increase productivity sustainably. An enabling policy framework which strengthens tenure will create the right environment to access climate finance mechanisms and demand for stronger allocation of funds. This session will present evidence about the contribution of smallholder / family farmers to sustainable food systems while contributing to climate actions, and thus highlight the need for secure land rights and access to finance in order to invest in a more sustainable agriculture practices and healthier livelihoods.
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