A week away from COP29, the United Nations’ annual climate summit taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan, the voices of smallholder farmers must be heard. These farmers produce the majority of Africa’s food yet find themselves on the frontlines of the climate crisis, facing growing challenges that threaten both their livelihoods and global food security. 

Despite the pivotal role they play, these farmers receive only a small fraction (less than 1%) of money spent internationally to help the world respond to climate change. In this letter, the 2024 Ban Ki-Moon Centre’s Youth AgriChampions, a coalition of young farmers, agripreneurs and representatives from across Africa, share their on-the-ground experience and outline three key policy demands to help smallholder farmers, particularly women and youth, adapt and thrive. This is a call for transformative change that places those most affected by the climate crisis right at the heart of climate policy, where they belong. 

Read the full letter to understand how these farmers would solve the problem themselves.

Open Letter to Global Leaders Ahead of COP29

October 17, 2024

Dear World Leaders and Policymakers,

Ahead of COP29, we urgently call on you to take decisive action on the pressing challenges smallholder farmers, particularly women and youth, face in adapting to the climate crisis. Smallholder farmers, who produce 80% of Africa’s food, are among the most vulnerable to climate shocks. These shocks threaten not only their livelihoods, but also global food security. Yet, they receive just 0.8% of global climate finance. Closing the adaptation finance gap and prioritizing support for those most affected is essential.

As the 2024 Ban Ki-moon Centre’s Youth AgriChampions, we demand transformative action in access to international climate finance, data collection and dissemination, and access to land.

Demand 1: Simplify Access to International Climate Finance

We call upon governments and international climate finance institutions to simplify funding mechanisms to allow greater access to climate finance. Excessive bureaucratic hurdles faced by smallholders significantly hinder their ability to access international climate finance. Grant applications and other climate finance must become user-friendly, with accessible language and simplified documentation requirements. Moreover, institutions should engage directly with smallholder farmers through field visits to better understand their needs.

Demand 2: Localize Data Collection and Information Dissemination

We demand improved climate adaptation information that is accessible to farmers in local language and formats. 

Accurate, localized climate information allows farmers to make informed decisions about crop selection, planting schedules, and technology investment. It is also crucial to simplify academic research by translating technical jargon into accessible language and tailoring the findings to meet smallholder farmers’ needs. 

We recommend greater investment in local infrastructure to prioritize localized data collection to incorporate traditional knowledge, as well as in local communication platforms like radio stations to better disseminate information.

Demand 3: Enhance Access to Land for Young Farmers

We call upon governments and policymakers to implement land mapping programs that prioritize land tenure security and equitable access for smallholder farmers, ensuring the involvement of women and youth in the process. Smallholder farmers need equal access to land to invest in sustainable practices, and build capacity to adapt.

We advocate for digital technologies and participatory approaches in land mapping, keeping mindful of long-term development goals like sustainable agriculture and poverty reduction. Lastly, we urge policymakers and investors to ease land availability challenges by funding restoration and conservation projects.

The time to act is now. We implore global leaders in Baku to look closely at these demands to not only empower women and youth smallholder farmers build resilient livelihoods, but create a sustainable future for agriculture.

With hope,

The 2024 Ban Ki-moon Centre’s Youth AgriChampions