The formal outcomes of COP30, compiled in the Belém Package and the so-called Global Task Force Decision, reinforced important commitments to climate finance, adaptation, and forest preservation. However, despite the growing relevance of food systems to the global climate agenda, the topic remains underrepresented in decision documents.
While official negotiations focus on energy, transparency, and financial flows, the transformation of food production systems, responsible for a third of global emissions and deeply linked to food security, public health, and conservation, has only appeared indirectly. Food systems and the diversification of protein sources were not included in the final text of the Joint Effort or the Global Goal on Adaptation.
On the other hand, the COP30 Presidency explicitly recognized, in its action agenda, that transforming agriculture and food systems is essential to accelerate the implementation of the Paris Agreement. The axis dedicated to this theme includes land restoration, sustainable agriculture, and building more resilient and equitable food systems.
4th Letter from the Presidency regarding COP30
| Among the many documents surrounding COP30, the so-called "4th letter" from the Presidency (COP30 4th Letter: Action Agenda / Joint Effort) This reveals the political ambition that Brazil sought to bring to the meeting. There, the COP Presidency outlines six major axes of global mobilization, and one of them assumes a strategic role: Transforming Agriculture and Food SystemsIn this context, the letter describes three fronts that, together, form a roadmap for the sector's future: land restoration and sustainable agriculture, building more resilient and adaptive food systems e guaranteeing equitable access to adequate and quality foodThis is a recognition that the transformation of food systems is not only necessary, but central to addressing the climate crisis, reducing inequalities, and ensuring food security for millions of people. The fact that we have, for the first time in an official document from the COP30 Presidency, a direct reference to food systems and sustainable food systems is significant. This inclusion places agriculture and food within the larger narrative of... Global Task ForceThis refers to the global mobilization effort proposed by Brazil to promote the swift and fair implementation of the Paris Agreement. However, it is important to emphasize that this letter is a piece of political guidance, a signaling of priorities. It does not have the legal or negotiated weight of formal COP decisions.such as the Global Task Force or the Global Adaptation TargetNevertheless, its symbolic and strategic power is undeniable. It shows where the Presidency sees potential for transformation and indicates paths that, even outside the final text approved by the countries, can influence national agendas, civil society movements, and expectations for the next rounds of negotiation. In other words, the letter doesn't decide, but it points the way. And the fact that it directly points to the need to transform the way we produce, distribute, and consume food is, in itself, a step forward in the global debate on climate and food systems. |
This contrast reveals a persistent challenge: the climate emergency has already pushed clean energy and climate finance to the center of the multilateral process, but systemic change in how we produce and consume food has not yet migrated from the side agenda to the heart of negotiated decisions. For the global transition to be truly compatible with the goal of limiting warming to 1,5°C, it is essential that food systems, including alternative proteins, cease to be treated as a secondary issue and begin to occupy the strategic space they deserve.
COP30 demonstrated that there is sufficient political will and scientific evidence. The next step is to transform this vision into formal, clear, and measurable commitments capable of mobilizing investments and guiding public policies. Without this, the world will continue to ignore one of the most powerful levers for tackling the climate crisis.
Main advances
- COP30 approved the "Belém Package" with 29 unanimous documents among the 195 participating countries.
- To proposal RAIZ – Resilient Agriculture Investment for net Zero land degradationPresented as part of the COP30 agenda, it calls for a global effort to restore land and promote sustainable agriculture, with a focus on food security.
- Relevant mechanisms were announced, such as the fund. Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF), focused on the preservation of tropical forests, with investments exceeding US$ 6,5 billion and participation from 69 countries.
- More significant inclusion of indigenous peoples and traditional communities. In the climate debate: there was a record level of participation, and indigenous territorial rights appeared in three official texts.
Recognition and mobilization around climate adaptation: the goal of Triple funding for adaptation by 2035. (US$ 120 billion) was adopted. - COP30 concluded a set of 59 voluntary indicators to track progress toward the Global Adaptation Target, covering water, food, health, ecosystems, infrastructure, livelihoods, finance, and technology.
- The Parties approved a just transition mechanism (Belém Declaration on Hunger, Poverty and People-Centered Climate Actionwhich places equity and people at the heart of climate action, strengthening international cooperation, technical assistance, capacity building and knowledge sharing to support countries and communities in the transition.
- Opening for parallel routes such as roadmaps for combating deforestation and the use of fossil fuels announced by the Brazilian presidency, although not yet included in the final text.
Key gaps and criticisms
- Despite the progress, the agreements were deemed insufficient given the scientific urgency to limit warming to 1,5°C.
- The final text did not include clear roadmaps for transitioning to more sustainable and resilient food systems (which should include diversifying protein sources), nor for ending the use of fossil fuels or ending deforestation by 2030, issues strongly supported by more than 80 countries but blocked by nations such as Saudi Arabia and Russia.
- The amount and timeframe for funding the adaptation are still considered insufficient to meet the actual needs.
- Lack of deeper progress in implementing national climate targets (NDCs): although more than 118 countries have updated their targets for 2035, science warns that there is no trajectory compatible with the 1,5°C limit.
GFI at COP30
Throughout the two weeks of the event, one message became clear: Investment plays a decisive role in transforming the agri-food system and diversifying protein sources.The GFI was one of the organizations that brought this debate to the forefront of discussions. Check out the main highlights below.
November 12th: Dinner with negotiators
GFI Brazil participated in organizing the traditional plant-based dinner for agricultural negotiators (with 38 delegates), presenting an alternative protein product developed with Embrapa technology, supported by the GFI grant program. This dinner served to demonstrate GFI Brazil's narrative on innovation in the Global South, promoting solutions made with native ingredients (cashew fiber).
November 13: Aligning Agriculture Finance and Fiscal Measures with Climate and Nature Goals
The event brought together policymakers, investors, and civil society organizations to discuss how financial and fiscal instruments can drive a global transformation of food systems aligned with climate and nature. Our policy analyst, Mariana Bernal, participated in the panel along with Megan Waters and Changtong Huang (FAIRR), Prof. Shenggen Fan (China Agricultural University), Hongyu Guo (Greenovation Hub), Jeroom Remmers (TAPP Coalition), Rune-Christoffer Dragsdahl, Leonardo Gava Mataram (International Vegetarian Union), and Virginia Antonioli (WRI Brazil).
Mariana comments that during the panel there was a consensus on the need for investments in agri-food solutions to be made from multiple sources. "Blended finances help stimulate investments in agri-food solutions, which are still considered risky innovations, especially for the private sector and rural producers."
The GFI analyst also drew attention to public policies and fiscal measures that can help democratize access to alternative proteins. “Alternative proteins still face market resistance and price challenges that deter consumers. Fiscal measures can help the entire food production chain enter this market and offer quality products at a fair price for people.”
Main highlights:
Protein diversification It offers companies heavily reliant on animal protein the opportunity to protect their ingredient supply chains while building more resilient product portfolios—especially in an uncertain macroeconomic environment.
China's scale is crucial: With its massive production of livestock and feed, any significant transformation of global food systems needs to consider China as a central player.
Brazil is strengthening its resilience. by expanding the development of native plant proteins and investing in agroforestry systems to support the restoration of degraded or deforested areas.
Context-specific agricultural taxonomies are essential: By creating their own taxonomies that reflect their local agricultural contexts, Colombia and Brazil demonstrate that sustainable agriculture takes different forms in each country—and reinforce the lack of consensus on a universal definition of "sustainable." Government support through fiscal instruments is fundamental to reducing sector risks and enabling long-term investments.
Risk sharing and fiscal innovation are crucial for sustainable agriculture. Countries like Brazil, which play a significant role in global agriculture, need to address financial risks and restructure credit mechanisms to support the sector's transition.
November 14: Nourishing Climate Action: Policy Tools for Climate-aligned and Resilient Food Systems
Co-organized by UNFCCC, Good Food Institute, ProVeg International, Humane World for Animals, Compassion in World Farming, Mercy for Animals, Foodrise, and Food Tank, the side event brought to COP30 a set of initiatives and public policies to make food systems more resilient and aligned with climate change.
main highlights
Expanded support for adaptation and resilience is essential: Strengthening agricultural producers with technical and financial tools allows them to reduce vulnerabilities, ensure continued production, and respond more effectively to the impacts of climate change.
Food and nutritional security depends on robust public policies. Social protection systems and public procurement mechanisms can create stable markets, reduce inequalities, and accelerate the provision of adequate food for at-risk populations.
The integration of food, agricultural, and climate strategies is essential. Aligning these three pillars at the national and international levels creates political coherence, avoids isolated efforts, and maximizes the impact of decarbonization actions.
Coordination between climate, humanitarian, and development agendas needs to advance. Bringing these areas closer together allows for faster and more efficient responses, especially in regions where climate events already translate into social and economic crises.
Investments in early warning systems are crucial for adaptation: Monitoring and forecasting technologies reduce losses, protect vulnerable communities, and help governments act proactively.
Risk-based financing is a strategic lever: By directing resources according to real vulnerabilities and climate scenarios, countries and financial institutions can foster long-term solutions and avoid higher costs in the future.
Stephanie Maw, Senior Policy and Advocacy Manager at ProVeg, celebrated that 94% of the updated NDCs in 2024 included some measure related to food systems, but noted that only 7% (the equivalent of 10 countries with NDCs) had targets related to diets. “It’s really progress, but we can clearly see the gap that still exists when it comes to governments leveraging the potential of dietary changes in climate adaptation and mitigation strategies.”
Congresswoman Duda Salabert, who also chaired the Chamber's Subcommittee for COP30, argued that alternative proteins cannot be restricted to a niche market and that measures and tax incentives are necessary to democratize access to them. "With tax incentives and governments including plant-based options in school meals at least one day a week, they become a public policy to combat food insecurity and the climate crisis."
The congresswoman went further, stating that the transition to more sustainable diets with a diversity of proteins not only benefits the planet. “Plant-based proteins help build a new consciousness that overcomes anthropocentrism and recognizes humans, animals, rivers, and forests as part of the planet. And they do so with a much smaller water and carbon footprint than animal products.”
November 17: A Just Transition for Global Protein: Aligning Supply, Demand, and Emissions within Planetary Boundaries
The event, organized by the Food Systems for the Future (FSF) Institute, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), brought together representatives from governments, researchers, producers, investors, and civil society organizations to advance a pluralistic and science-based vision on the global protein transition. The dialogue stemmed from the recognition that feeding nearly 10 billion people within planetary boundaries requires multiple solutions, integrating, among other possibilities, alternative cultivated, plant-based, hybrid, and fermentation-derived proteins.
November 19th: The Singapore Pavilion dedicated an entire day to discussing food systems.
The transformation of food systems has gained renewed momentum in international debates, reflected in three complementary panels that addressed topics ranging from financing and innovation to regional collaboration. Together, they reinforced that there is no effective climate response without a profound rethinking of how we produce, finance, and distribute food.
Unlocking adaptation finance for sustainable food system transformation
The first panel, divided into two parts, exposed a central paradox of climate action: although agriculture and food account for a third of global emissions, the sector receives less than 5% of available climate finance. To overcome this gap, experts advocated for innovative financing mechanisms—combining public, private, and blended finance—inspired by models that have already driven the expansion of clean energy on a global scale.
In the first part, during a chat with the executive director of GFI APAC, Singapore's Minister of Sustainability, Grace Fu, argued that while today's agriculture is one of the causes, it is also a victim of what she called "climate stress." "Producers are having a hard time, but we all need food. We can't isolate ourselves from the consequences of global food systems. We're talking about governance, scale, and logistics."
The minister also presented the reasons that lead Singapore to invest in disruptive agri-food technologies and solutions. “If we look at the scenario in Singapore, we can say that we are forced by limitations; many of the strategies we use come from the fact that we have nothing, like abundant land or water. So we have to deal with our circumstances and find solutions.”
Next, Mirte joined representatives from government, philanthropy, and non-governmental organizations to explore alternatives for unlocking resources. The director of Singapore's National Climate Change Secretariat, Joel Tee, said that in sectors such as alternative proteins, solutions exist. "Unlocking this flow of funding, this capital, is the great innovation we must pursue."
Andy Jarvis, director of the Future of Food program at the Bezos Earth Fund, added that philanthropic capital should be directed to where the free market is failing to deliver results: “Climate finance needs to embrace the complexity of food systems. I would love to see a real and meaningful coalition around sustainable proteins emerge in the world—where the meat industry, alternative proteins, governments, and the entire financial sector come together and realize that this is not something to be seen as a 'problem,' but rather as an area with 'great potential for solutions.'”
Jarvis emphasized that Bezos Earth Found sees the alternative protein sector as a "game-changer" in food systems. "There's no way to achieve the Paris goal without a transformation of the food system, and I don't believe there's any chance of transforming that system without looking at proteins. This is fundamental for planet Earth," he concluded.
APAC-Brazil: Enabling Ecosystems for Food Innovation
Following this, at the opening of the APAC-Brazil panel, the executive director of GFI APAC, Mirte Gosker, presented data justifying the efforts to transform food systems. According to her, food production alone makes the climate goals of the Paris Agreement unattainable, even if all other major sources of emissions were eliminated. “We need to rethink how we produce food. Alternative proteins can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 98%, the agricultural area needed for food production by 96%, and water use by 99%,” she stated.
The panel showed that advancing food innovation depends on ecosystems capable of connecting science, public policy, and investment. As Professor Shenggen Fan from the China Agricultural University said, "Investing in research and development, in more sustainable and lower-carbon value chains, and in consumer education will be essential to transforming our food systems towards healthier, more nutritious, and sustainable foods."
Singapore, China, and Brazil, despite their distinct realities, have been using their strategic advantages to accelerate the production of alternative proteins and other low-impact foods. The three countries have demonstrated that diversifying protein sources is an essential component of any genuine decarbonization trajectory.
“We know that everyone needs protein, but it can come from different sources. Plant-based proteins are generally more sustainable and, in many cases, also healthier. And if some (consumers) still want the taste of meat, that’s fine. We can offer innovative proteins. This can include cultivated meat. These types of proteins have much lower carbon emissions and offer healthy options for consumers,” argued Shenggen Fan.
Finally, the debate on regional collaboration highlighted integrated solutions that unite biodiversity, climate, and food security. The Biomes Program, coordinated by GFI Brazil, was mentioned by Professor Germano Reis, from the Federal University of Paraná, and by Marion Adeney, director of the Amazon and Fires Program at Conservation X Labs. Both highlighted the potential of the union between academia and the private sector, by investing in research that values biodiversity, while simultaneously creating business opportunities for industry.
The session also showed how regional partnerships and dynamic markets can accelerate the adoption of agricultural technologies and support farmers and communities in transitioning to the impacts of climate change.
A study led by Professor Germano, which sought to understand the perception of 14 agricultural cooperatives in the state of Paraná, identified that rural producers see opportunities arising from alternative proteins that can be explored as portfolio diversification. “We wanted to understand what companies and producers in the meat sector think about alternative proteins, such as cultivated meat. We are already seeing large companies and cooperatives taking action, and cooperatives realizing that this can be profitable. On the other hand, they still need more information about what alternative proteins are and how they are used,” he concluded.
Taken together, the three panels pointed in the same direction: transforming food systems is essential to achieving climate goals and ensuring a fairer, more resilient and sustainable future — and this requires innovation, targeted financing and cooperation between countries and regions.
Asia Climate Solution Pavilion: Beyond Factory Farming: Accelerating Global Protein Transition for Climate and Forests
The event brought together global experts to discuss how the transition to sustainable proteins can reduce deforestation, protect biodiversity, and align food systems with the 1,5°C climate targets. Discussions made it clear that while livestock farming remains a major driver of biodiversity loss and increased emissions, alternative proteins already offer a viable path to meet growing global food demand without increasing pressure on forests and land. However, participants stressed that public policies, regulatory standards, and research investment remain far short of what is needed to accelerate this transformation.
Throughout the sessions, concrete opportunities were analyzed to incorporate the diversification of protein sources into national climate strategies, ranging from tax incentives and clearer regulatory frameworks to innovation programs and international cooperation. “A change of course is urgently needed. Not asking consumers to stop eating meat, but rather modernizing the way meat is produced,” said Bruce Friedrich, president and founder of the GFI.
The discussions also highlighted the importance of bringing together governments, civil society, and the private sector to build low-carbon food systems capable of strengthening global food security. The need for more integrated governance was identified as an essential condition for the climate potential of alternative proteins to translate into real impact.
Asia emerged as a key player in this agenda, both for concentrating a large part of future growth in the demand for protein and for leading efforts in agricultural decarbonization. The final consensus was clear: the faster countries move to transform food systems, including diversifying protein sources, the greater the long-term benefits for the climate, forests, and food security.
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