When food and climate decisions work together

The decisions that shape food systems and the decisions that shape climate action often begin in different rooms.

Agriculture ministries typically lead food production and agricultural development, while environment ministries guide climate and environmental policy. Other ministries and institutions oversee areas such as health, finance, water, energy and economic development, each operating within distinct mandates, priorities, funding mechanisms and planning cycles.

Yet for farmers, businesses and communities, these challenges are not experienced separately. They are part of one interconnected reality. A drought, for example, can reduce agricultural productivity, undermine livelihoods, increase food insecurity, strain water resources, accelerate biodiversity loss and heighten climate vulnerabilities all at once. When policies and investments are developed in isolation, opportunities to address these interconnected challenges more effectively can be missed. When they are aligned, the same actions can generate multiple benefits for food security, climate resilience, sustainable livelihoods and environmental sustainability

That is the challenge the Food Systems and Climate Action Convergence Initiative was created to address through a food systems approach. Supported by the Government of the Netherlands, the Initiative helps countries connect food systems and climate priorities through their own national processes. Rather than creating new institutions or strategies, it supports governments in aligning existing policies, strengthening coordination across ministries, identifying shared investment priorities and developing practical roadmaps for implementation. The Initiative builds on growing international recognition that food systems and climate goals cannot be achieved separately, most notably the UN Secretary-General's Call to Action on Food Systems Transformation and the COP28 UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems and Climate Action.

The Government of the Netherlands emphasized the importance of the Initiative's collaborative approach: "As a supporter of the Food-Climate Convergence Initiative, the Netherlands is convinced that transforming food systems and achieving climate goals are inseparable: you cannot achieve one without the other. The Netherlands therefore places particular emphasis on promoting climate-resilient food production. Because such efforts are most effective when embedded in broader cooperation, the Netherlands believes in the strength of the Convergence Initiative's approach, which promotes collaboration across scales by facilitating connections at subnational, national and international levels."

“Better outcomes begin with better-connected decisions,” says Khaled Eltaweel, Senior Programme Coordinator at the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub.  “When governments and stakeholders align food systems transformation with climate, biodiversity, water and development priorities, they unlock solutions that are more resilient, more efficient and more capable of delivering lasting benefits for people and the planet."

Since its launch, the Initiative has supported national processes in 22 countries while expanding regional collaboration across the Amazon, the Arab region and Africa. Each country is applying the approach differently, reflecting its own priorities, institutions and development context.

Where countries are starting

There is no single model for connecting food systems and climate action.

Some countries are strengthening how government institutions work together. Egypt is using its National Food and Nutrition Systems Committee to connect food systems priorities with climate policy across agriculture, health and environment, while Armenia is strengthening coherence across food, climate, biodiversity and nutrition policies to improve agricultural resilience and food security.

Others are using convergence to strengthen national planning. Indonesia linked its convergence process with its 2024 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and Long-Term Strategy, creating a direct connection between climate commitments and food systems planning. Peru is strengthening coordination across national and regional planning processes so food systems priorities are reflected more consistently in climate and development agendas, while Brazil connected its national convergence process with the COP30 Action Agenda and broader efforts to strengthen policy coherence across sectors.

Moving beyond coordination

Several countries are now focusing on implementation and investment. Cambodia has mapped which priorities are already financed, which are ready for investment and where additional support is needed. Fiji has proposed a National Convergence Fund to help mobilize public and private finance, while Jordan is exploring agricultural green bonds alongside international climate finance mechanisms. Lao PDR is combining blended finance approaches with national financial institutions to improve farmers' access to credit.

Across the Initiative, countries are also responding to their own priorities. Cameroon is bringing together multiple Hub-supported initiatives under a single country-led approach to deliver greater impact. Kazakhstan is modernizing food production through climate-smart technologies, improved water and land management, and lower-emission farming practices as it aligns agrifood systems with its climate and carbon-neutrality goals. Madagascar is strengthening cross-sector coordination while promoting resilient farming practices and greater private sector engagement. Mauritania is prioritizing climate-smart irrigation, farmer cooperatives, secure land tenure and inclusive extension services. The Central African Republic is connecting climate resilience with school feeding, local procurement and rural livelihoods. Thailand is advancing precision agriculture and its bio-circular-green economy, while Samoa is bringing together food systems, climate action and nutrition through agroecological and circular food system approaches. Nigeria is strengthening coordination across national, state and local institutions to improve implementation. Türkiye is strengthening agricultural data systems and rural extension services while sharing lessons from its national convergence process ahead of its COP31 Presidency. Uzbekistan has identified food security monitoring and early warning systems as priorities for future investment. In the Dominican Republic, the focus is on better aligning food, agriculture and climate policies while integrating climate considerations into public investment, procurement and agricultural support. Ethiopia is aligning its food systems transformation strategy with its Nationally Determined Contribution, National Adaptation Plan and the CAADP agenda through an expanded multi-sector Food Systems Council. Zambia, the most recent country to join this phase of the Initiative, is focused on better connecting planning, financing and monitoring across climate, agriculture, water, energy and land use to support more coordinated implementation and investment.

While every country is taking a different path, the challenge is remarkably similar: making existing systems work together more effectively rather than creating new ones.

Learning across borders

As more countries have joined the Initiative, collaboration has expanded beyond national borders.

In the Amazon, the Initiative is supporting regional cooperation with the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) by helping strengthen links between food systems transformation, climate action, forests, biodiversity and resilient bioeconomies, while recognizing the central role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

In Asia and the Pacific, collaboration with the ASEAN Climate Resilience Network supported regional workshops ahead of COP30, helping countries strengthen Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0). Across Small Island Developing States (SIDS), partnership with UNEP through SFS4Nature is helping accelerate implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) by connecting action on nature and agrifood systems.

Across the Arab region, collaboration with ESCWA is helping countries facing shared challenges, including water scarcity and climate vulnerability, strengthen coordination between food systems and climate planning while exchanging practical experience.

In Africa, partnership with the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding (CCCPA) is helping countries strengthen coordination between food systems, climate action and resilience while contributing to the 2026 Aswan Forum and wider African Union processes.

These regional initiatives are helping countries facing similar challenges learn from one another while connecting national experience with wider regional and global processes.

What comes next

The first phase of the Convergence Initiative focused on strengthening coordination, aligning policies and developing practical action plans. Increasingly, the focus is shifting to implementation: mobilizing investment, strengthening institutions, improving monitoring and embedding national priorities in budgets and financing.

The next phase will expand that approach by strengthening connections not only between food systems and climate action, but also biodiversity, water, health and nutrition, while continuing to support country-led implementation.

Convergence is not about creating another strategy. It is about helping governments make better-connected decisions so that the same policy, investment or partnership can deliver benefits for food security, climate resilience and sustainable development.

After supporting national processes in 22 countries and strengthening regional collaboration, the Initiative is showing that better outcomes begin with better-connected decisions.