Farmers are the foundation of our food systems, and yet small-scale farmers and producers in the Global South are especially at risk from climate change. Current efforts to adapt are insufficient. 

This session will enhance the understanding of how sustainable agri-food and livestock systems can help mitigate the impacts of land degradation, enhance biodiversity, and play an important role in food systems transformation. 

Purpose:

• Frame the theme of the Day at the Food Systems Pavilion “AMPLIFY priorities and voices of small-scale producers and pastoralists”. 
• Enhance the understanding of how sustainable agri-food and livestock systems can help mitigate the impacts of land degradation, enhance biodiversity, and play an important role in food systems transformation. 
• Identify priorities of farmer representatives and commitments from key coalitions on ways forward 

Key messages:

• Focusing on locally led principles and inclusivity will ensure better alignment of climate and development priorities.  
• Advances in genetics, climate smart technologies and financing can help small-scale producers in their adaptation efforts but there is a need to ensure farmers have access to finance, inputs and markets. 
• Incentives need to be established to shift to sustainable production practices in livestock and agriculture. This includes true and fair pricing of food/feed, having business and governments pay for negative externalities, redirecting agriculture subsidies, payment for ecosystem services, and investing in climate adaptation service provision.