Antalya, Türkiye | 9–20 November 2026
The Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) will lead a delegation of its member organisations to the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, with a clear message to world leaders: Africa cannot build a climate-resilient future without transforming its food systems, and agroecology must be at the heart of that transformation.
Representing a broad continental movement of farmers, pastoralists, Indigenous Peoples, women, youth and civil society organisations, AFSA enters COP31 determined to move agroecology from recognition in climate negotiations to concrete policy commitments, public investment and action on the ground.
For millions of African food producers, the climate crisis is not a distant threat. It is already unfolding through failed harvests, prolonged droughts, devastating floods, declining soil fertility and rising food insecurity. Yet the communities bearing the heaviest burden remain among those with the least access to climate finance and the smallest voice in decisions affecting their future.
“Africa does not need another climate summit that celebrates commitments while its farmers continue to bear the cost of inaction. We know what works. Agroecology is already restoring soils, protecting biodiversity, strengthening livelihoods and building resilience across our continent. What is missing is the political courage to put these solutions at the centre of climate policy and finance. COP31 must be where recognition becomes real investment and action,” said Dr. Million Belay, General Coordinator of AFSA.
Building on years of advocacy through its Agroecology for Climate Action campaign, AFSA will actively engage in negotiations on agriculture and food systems, adaptation, climate finance and just transition. A central priority is securing the future of the Sharm el-Sheikh Joint Work on Agriculture and Food Security, whose four-year mandate concludes in 2026. AFSA is calling for a stronger, implementation-focused framework that explicitly recognises agroecology and delivers meaningful support to small-scale food producers.
Climate finance will be another defining priority. AFSA is demanding a credible pathway to triple adaptation finance by 2035, with predictable public funding delivered primarily through grants rather than debt-creating loans. This funding must be accessible to frontline communities and support farmer-managed seed systems, soil restoration, water conservation, biodiversity and local food markets.
“The real test of climate action is not how many billions are announced in negotiating rooms, but how much support reaches the communities protecting our food systems. A just transition cannot leave African farmers dependent on expensive inputs, burdened by debt or excluded from decisions. We want climate finance that strengthens their autonomy, protects their rights and enables agroecology to thrive,” said Karen Nekessa, Chair of AFSA’s Climate and Agroecology Working Group.
Ahead of COP31, AFSA is also officially launching its new policy brief, From Commitments to Delivery: Enhancing Climate Action on Food Systems and Agriculture through Agroecology. Grounded in the collective Addis Ababa Declaration adopted by African civil society in September 2026, the brief presents concrete recommendations for governments and development partners to strengthen agricultural climate action, make adaptation accountable to communities, ensure equitable climate finance and place food systems at the centre of a just transition.
Throughout COP31, AFSA and its members will engage African negotiators, policymakers, development partners and global civil society allies through thematic negotiations, bilateral meetings, advocacy events and strategic partnerships. Their collective mission is to ensure that Africa’s food producers are not merely recognised as vulnerable populations, but respected as leaders and agents of climate solutions.
With COP32 scheduled to take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 2027, the decisions reached in Antalya will also help shape an important new chapter in Africa’s climate leadership.
AFSA’s message is unequivocal: climate justice begins with food justice. The solutions are already growing in African fields and communities. It is time for global climate policy and finance to catch up.
Read AFSA’s full COP31 Policy Brief: From Commitments to Delivery: Enhancing Climate Action on Food Systems and Agriculture through Agroecology.
