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The idea of “business as usual” is broken.
For the fourth consecutive year, when it comes to limiting warming to 1.5˚C, there has been “little to no measurable progress,” according to a new Climate Action Tracker report. In 2015, we were looking at about 3.6˚C of warming and right now that number sits at about 2.6˚C, per the report. Yes, that’s a reduction, but not one we can readily celebrate: If anything, it’s a sobering reminder that our approach to combatting the climate crisis over the past decade has been far from strong enough.
In the lead up to the U.N. Climate Change Conference here in Belém, leaders have talked about COP30 as the implementation COP, a time when all the discussions we’ve been having turn into action. If there’s a time for global policymakers, private sector leaders, philanthropic investors, and other stakeholders to be ambitious—it’s right now.
“COP is supposed to be about raising ambition but so far, numbers show that ambition is still missing in action,” says Ana Missirliu of the NewClimate Institute.
So how do we build a more ambitious, forward-thinking climate model to replace “business as usual”?
In short: Future climate solutions start with putting farmers front and center.
As experts discussed during an event yesterday at the Action on Food Hub, integrating farmers’ voices into financial design and governance is a proven pathway to build investment more equitably and inclusively.
“Farmers are not just the beneficiaries of aid. They have to be part of the investment model, where they share the cost and the benefits. That means farmers need to take a voice in the co-creation,” says Marcela Quintero of the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT.
Farmers, farmworkers, fishers, and food producers are the ones working on the ground, day in and day out. Healthy soil is not just an abstract concept—it’s a livelihood. Food waste is not just a statistic—it’s a personal betrayal.
I’m glad to see the launch here at COP30 of the Food Waste Breakthrough by the UN Environment Programme and partners to cut worldwide food waste in half by 2030. They announced a US$3 million, four-year project to implement its targets. I’m also impressed by commitments like the US$300 million that The Rockefeller Foundation and other global philanthropies have directed toward the Climate and Health Funders Coalition, which is placing an immediate focus on negative climate-linked health outcomes from extreme heat, air pollution, and infectious disease.
This is what we need to see: Real investments flowing directly toward addressing challenges faced by people on the ground.
In the time I’ve been here in Belém so far, it’s been wonderful to meet not only expert policymakers, civil society advocates, and business leaders, but also farmers, chefs, ranchers, and other folks for whom climate change is personal.
When we elevate their voices, we hear loud and clear that “business as usual” does not work. We hear loud and clear that it’s time for ambitious climate action that recognizes how people’s well-being is inseparable from the vibrance of soil, resilience of food chains, and care for natural resources.
Here at COP30, I hope the people at the high-level negotiating tables hear that message loud and clear. And I hope you hear it in your own communities, too!
News Stories/Reports I’m Reading Today:
- Regenerative Agriculture Faces Its Reality Check at COP30 — In an interesting essay on LinkedIn, Hugh Locke of Futurra argues that a clash at COP30 between the terms “regenerative agriculture” and “agroecology” is indicative of a battle for control of the future.
- The 2025 Land Gap Report — New analysis from the University of Melbourne and a variety of global partners shows a widening gulf between countries’ commitments and actual action plans.
- Agroecology and Resistance — A delegation from La Via Campesina visited a camp of the Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (Landless Workers’ Movement) to highlight real-world experiences of land liberation, ecological regeneration, and collective food sovereignty.
- Missing at U.N.’s Climate Meeting: American Executives — A New York Times report exposes just how few prominent U.S. policy and business leaders are participating in COP30. Some advocates question whether these unusual absences are so as not to upset U.S. President Donald Trump.
- Extraction Extinction — In a new report, Amnesty International shines a light on the depth and scale of how fossil fuel infrastructure threatens health and human rights.
Powerful Quotes From Recent Discussions:
- “Agrifood systems can cut emissions, restore ecosystems, safeguard water, and store carbon. To meet global climate and developmental goals, we must put smallholders at the center of climate action.” — Gabriel Ferrero, Strategic Advisor to the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program
- “Transforming agrifood systems is central to solving the interconnected crises of our time—climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, food insecurity, antibiotic resistance, and the spread of zoonotic diseases. Yet sustainable food systems remain an undervalued lever, attracting barely 3 percent of global climate finance.” —Vivek Venkatram, ProVeg Youth Board Member
- “Without child-adaptive climate policy and climate-adaptive child policy, we risk wasting international development funds and locking in disadvantage for generations to come.” — Professor Alan Stein, the director of the Children and Climate Initiative at the Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford University, responding to the release of the Belém Health Action Plan
Ways to Take Action:
Take Care Of Yourself
- via Washington Post — Climate anxiety is real—and different from other forms of anxiety, scientists say. And they have useful tips for pushing back against feelings of doom and helplessness.
Learn About Key Issues
- via FAO — Familiarize yourself with policy options for low-carbon, resilient aquaculture, so you’re more equipped to advocate to policymakers.
- via the University of Cambridge Crop Science Centre — Watch this new short film that premiered at COP30, which showcases a collaboration with partners in the Global South to pioneer sustainable alternatives to high-input agriculture.
Add These to Your Calendar:
1:00PM–2:00PM [11:00AM–12:00PM ET] @ Action on Food Pavilion, Blue Zone: “Biodiversity + Soil”
Join us for a plenary session highlighting the vital links between regenerative soil stewardship and climate action. Speakers include Sieg Snapp, Michigan State University, CGIAR; Marcela Quintero, CGIAR; Patrick Holden, The Sustainable Food Trust; Eske Willerslev, University of Copenhagen; and Rosinah Mbenya, PELUM Kenya.
We’re excited to share that you can livestream this event HERE.
3:00PM–4:30PM [1:00PM–2:30PM ET]@ Side Event Room 2, Blue Zone: “Living Soil, Thriving Planet: Achieving Climate Mitigation and Adaptation goals through Soil Health”
Healthy soils deliver not only climate solutions but also simultaneously address food security, ecosystem resilience, biodiversity loss and farmer livelihoods. Speakers including Hunter Lovins, Nat Cap Solutions; Merijn Dols, Soil4Climate; Praveena Sridhar, Savesoil; Anand Ethirajalu, Farmer and Ecologist; and more.
6:30PM–8:00PM [4:30PM–6:00PM ET] @ UNFCCC Official Side Event Room 6, Blue Zone: “Nourishing Climate Action: Policy Tools for Climate-Aligned and Resilient Food Systems”
Alongside partners including ProVeg International, Humane World, Mercy for Animals, Compassion in World Farming, and more, we’re hosting a collaborative discussion with city, national, and global leaders to explore policy tools around food and climate. Speakers include Rodrigo José Abreu dos Santos, Technical Operations Coordinator, Rio de Janeiro’s Secretary of Education; Ivan Euler, Salvador Secretary of Sustainability, Resilience, Well-being, and Animal Protection; Dr. Christopher Browne, CIWF; Duda Salabert, Brazilian Federal Parliamentary Representative from Minas Gerais; Stephanie Maw, ProVeg; and more.
Please CLICK HERE for more details on how to join us in Belém.
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Photo courtesy of Andres Medina, Unsplash
