Rana Gorges, Country Director for Tearfund in Iraq said:
‘Climate change is driving a global food crisis, leaving the smallholder farmers who produce our food unable to feed themselves or their families. It was good to see the presidency emphasise the importance of action on food security and climate change on day one of COP31.
‘At Tearfund, we believe that true food security must be for all, placing the people who grow our food and face the brunt of climate change at the forefront of these discussions. It was encouraging to see that smallholder farmers were specifically highlighted as a priority in opening conversations given their crucial role in global food production and their significant lack of access to climate finance. Closing the funding gap is vital to lifting millions of people out of hunger and protecting lives and livelihoods from climate impacts.
‘I see first-hand how the climate crisis and now the Super El Niño are impacting food security around the world. Heatwaves, floods and rapidly shrinking arable land are destroying their livelihoods. Agriculture negotiations must recognise the need for more finance in their outcomes, to build climate resilience for communities. Farmers cannot stand on empty promises alone; world leaders must ensure funding moves directly from negotiation rooms to farmers and their fields.
‘When farmers thrive, communities thrive.’
ENDS
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- 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.
