Smallholder farmers produce a third of the world’s food, but climate shocks and unjust food systems are cropping them out. Crops are failing, climate disasters are becoming more severe and more frequent, and the very people trying to grow food are at risk of extreme hunger themselves.
COP31, this year’s annual UN climate conference, gives us a vital opportunity to stand up for smallholder farmers, speak up for our global neighbours, and put our care for God’s creation into action.
Read more here about COP31, including why Tearfund will be there, what we'll be doing, and who we’ll be taking with us.
We’d love for you to pray with us before, during and after COP31, so we’ve put together some suggestions below to help guide you as a starting point. Feel free to share them with your church, small group, friends, and on social media.
We really value your prayers and ongoing support for our climate work alongside people living in poverty. Thank you.
Pray for communities affected by climate change
- Lift up to God communities living in poverty as they are often the ones hit first by the devastating impacts of the climate crisis, even though, in many cases, they have contributed the least to cause the problem.
- Pray that smallholder farmers around the world, like Afroza, Beli and Zainab, will receive the support they need to adapt to the changing climate. Thank God for their amazing contribution to our global food systems, and ask for his protection over their harvests.
- Ask God to provide the resources to replace crops, homes and livelihoods that are lost because of more frequent and intense weather events.
- Pray for solutions and resources to be readily available for people who need them most, to enable them to adapt to and recover from these extreme weather events.
Pray for our world
- Ask God to inspire compassion for his creation and our global neighbours in every single person around the world – we each have an important part to play, no matter how small it may feel.
- Pray for changes in behaviour around the world, in individuals, communities, corporations, and in major world leaders, that will protect and restore God’s creation.
- Pray that climate-resilient farming solutions will continue to grow, and that new discoveries and research in this area will lead to good results for the people who grow the food we depend on daily.
