Agriculture is among the sectors most critical for climate adaptation and resilience-building, yet only around 4% of climate finance is directed toward strengthening resilience in the sector despite its frontline exposure to climate risks, a senior Food and Agriculture Organization official said.
The comments came following publication of the joint report Extreme Heat and Agriculture by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and FAO, which found that the impacts of extreme heat on agriculture and food systems, ecosystems and human life are increasing rapidly.
It warned that some regions could experience as many as 250 days per year that are too hot to work and emphasized the need to strengthen early warning systems and climate-resilient agricultural practices.
Speaking to Anadolu, Kaveh Zahedi -- assistant director general and director of the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment -- said the effects of extreme heat on agriculture are becoming increasingly severe.
Zahedi said every 1-degree Celsius rise in average global temperatures leads to an estimated 6% reduction in yields of key agricultural crops.
He said yields are already declining for maize, rice, wheat and soybeans, which together provide more than 60% of global calorie intake.
Zahedi stressed that farmers are at the center of the crisis and that their preparedness is essential for ensuring future food security.
“Farmers can’t prepare for what they don’t know is happening, which is why multi-hazard early warning systems are among the smartest investments we can make to protect farmers and food security from extreme heat,” he said.
Despite disparities in internet and mobile-phone access, Zahedi said early warning systems remain among the most important tools for protecting vulnerable communities.
He said such barriers can be addressed through alternative communication methods including SMS alerts, community radio and local announcements, stressing that what matters most is ensuring farmers receive information in a timely and effective way regardless of the channel used.
Zahedi said support for farmers should not end with providing warnings, noting that alerts need to be paired with practical guidance that allows farmers to take action.
“But the key is not just getting the information through mobiles, SMS or community radio. It’s not just saying it will be extremely hot -- they need much more than that,” he said.
“We need to go further and say what they can actually do, such as protecting soil moisture through mulching, storing water, shifting irrigation to cooler hours or using netting to shade crops. Practical, actionable advice has to go hand in hand with early warning systems.”
Zahedi said available climate financing remains far below what agriculture requires.
“When you look at climate finance, our analysis shows public climate finance, we find that only about 4% of it is going to agriculture, building resilience in agriculture. Only 4% of climate finance going to agriculture,” he said.
“Whereas we know that agriculture and food systems are on the front lines of climate change. We see it in countries’ nationally determined contributions, we see it in countries’ national adaptation plans.”
He also said current climate financing is insufficient for reducing agricultural emissions, noting that agriculture and food systems account for roughly one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Zahedi said the estimated $1.3 trillion required annually to transform agriculture and food systems cannot be covered through climate finance alone.
He described COP31, which Türkiye will host in November, as an important platform for climate and agriculture discussions.
Zahedi said FAO has already held what he described as “encouraging conversations” with Türkiye’s COP31 presidency regarding the role food systems can play in confronting climate challenges.
“If you talk about adaptation and building resilience, there is no sector more important than agriculture,” he said.
“And if you’re talking about reducing emissions, then the one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions that come from agri-food systems must also be part of the solution.”
Zahedi added that Türkiye’s role as a major agricultural country has helped strengthen awareness of the relationship between agriculture and climate change.
He noted that food systems and agriculture have become increasingly central over the last five to six climate summits and can no longer be treated as secondary issues.
“I think that’s the momentum we’d like to maintain with the COP31 presidency, because you never know what will be the best seed, what would be the best variety for the future climate that we’re heading towards, as an insurance against an uncertain future,” he said.
“All of these provide us with options and solutions that demonstrate that agriculture does have an impact on the environment. But without agriculture, we simply cannot deliver on the promises of the Paris Agreement, whether on adaptation and resilience or on mitigation.”
