As world leaders gather in Antalya, the ongoing 'Super El Niño' weather event threatens to devastate communities living in poverty. This will place even greater pressure on global food security, as smallholder farmers struggle to adapt to climate change without sufficient climate finance support.
As COP31 opens, Tearfund delivers an urgent message from smallholder farmers living in extreme poverty facing the brunt of climate change; their futures can’t stand on empty promises.
Representatives from Tearfund alongside young activists are heading to Türkiye for the COP31 UN climate summit, which opens on November 9 2026.
Rana Gorges, Tearfund’s Country Director for Iraq said:
‘Smallholder farmers produce one-third of the world's food, yet they receive less than 1 per cent of global climate finance. Facing severe droughts, floods, and extreme heat waves, their crops and livelihoods are being destroyed. We rely on them for global food security, yet many face extreme hunger themselves. This is deeply unjust. Farmers and vulnerable communities cannot adapt to climate breakdown on empty promises alone.
‘In Iraq farmers like 46-year-old Aqsam rely on farming a small plot of land for her family’s survival. However, frequent water shortages due to drought limited her ability to grow crops. Without access to modern agricultural knowledge, Aqsam struggled to understand what her crops needed and frequently watched her plants wither and die. This is where Tearfund stepped in, through our local partners we supported Aqsam to undergo training that equipped her with practical skills to improve her farming such as harvesting waste household water, identifying the nutritional needs of different crops, and recognising early signs of plant diseases or pests. She now says she has hope for the future. But this intervention is only a sticking plaster, smallholder farmers need the money promised to them in order to adapt in the long term.’
Sam Perriman, Tearfund's Public Policy lead said:
‘Wealthy nations like the UK must play their part by stepping up climate finance – turning the $300 billion previously promised into the $1.3 trillion urgently required for adaptation, resilience and loss and damage. This funding must also prioritise a just-transition away from industrial agriculture that harms the climate towards sustainable, fair food systems that support smallholder farmers and those living in extreme poverty.
‘The UN’s annual climate summit offers a crucial moment to stand alongside smallholder farmers worldwide. As Christians we believe we are called to speak up for the rights of people living in poverty. By speaking out and demanding ambitious action on key issues like climate finance, we can push governments to deliver meaningful support to communities in poverty while strengthening global food security for everyone.’
ENDS
Note to editors
- For further information email [email protected]. For out of hours media enquiries: 07929 339813 or [email protected].
- Sam Perriman is Tearfund’s Public Policy Lead and available for interview (based in UK).
- Rana Gorges is Tearfund’s Country Director for Iraq.
- Tearfund is a Christian charity that partners with churches in more than 50 of the world’s poorest countries. We tackle poverty through sustainable development, responding to disasters and challenging injustice. We believe an end to extreme poverty is possible. Tearfund is also a member of the Disasters Emergency Committee. For more information about the work of Tearfund, please visit www.tearfund.org.
