London Climate Action Week: IPCC Chair Jim Skea Calls for a Just Transformation of Agricultural and Food Systems

London, 26 June 2026 – In a keynote at a joint ODI–FAO event, the chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Jim Skea, framed the transformation of agricultural and food systems as a litmus test for effective climate action and social justice. He linked recent research to concrete recommendations for policy and development cooperation, with particular emphasis on women and smallholder farms.

Climate impacts and mitigation potential

Skea highlighted the dual role of food systems: they are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and at the same time highly vulnerable to climate change. Extreme weather events, altered rainfall patterns and rising temperatures reduce yields, incomes and food availability. At the same time, agriculture offers rapid levers for emissions reduction — for example by cutting methane, adopting sustainable soil management and halting deforestation.

A just transition as guiding principle

Technical solutions alone are not enough, Skea said. Policy decisions must consider social impacts and protect people whose livelihoods are tied to traditional production methods. Without clear strategies, there is a risk of income losses, land conflicts and social regression — especially for small farms and rural communities.

Women in focus

Skea stressed that women perform a large share of agricultural work in many regions but often have less access to land, credit, inputs and training. Strengthening their rights and resources improves justice as well as resilience and productivity. Measures he cited include targeted credit lines, legal protection for land rights, inclusive agricultural research and expanded advisory services.

Instruments for a socially just transition

As building blocks for a fair transition, Skea named social protection for income losses, retraining, investments in infrastructure and climate-resilient value chains, and enabling agricultural policies. Subsidies that support environmentally harmful practices should be redirected in favour of nature-friendly methods and small-scale producers.

Adapt locally, capture synergies

Measures need to be adapted to regional conditions. Agroecological approaches, conservation tillage, targeted irrigation and biodiversity-friendly cropping systems can simultaneously advance climate, nutrition and public-good objectives.

Realigning finance

A central barrier remains financing. Public funds, private investment and international financial flows should be more strongly oriented toward resilient and lower-emission food systems. Due to historical emissions and greater financial capacity, developed countries bear particular responsibility. Beyond the amount of funding, the design of financial instruments matters: grants, long-term credit lines and payments for ecosystem services operate differently from short-term, expensive loans. Transparency and precision are crucial so that funds reach those who need them most.

Address trade-offs openly

Skea pointed to real tensions: increasing yields can stabilise incomes in the short term but raise environmental pressures. Land set aside for carbon storage benefits the climate but must not jeopardise food supplies. Such conflicts require participatory processes, careful trade-offs and consistent monitoring.

Knowledge, data and adaptive policy

Better data on emissions, productivity and social indicators enable more targeted measures. Research should assess both technical solutions and social impacts. Skea advocated for adaptive policy that learns from pilot projects and iteratively adjusts interventions.

Time factor

Delays reduce room for manoeuvre and raise costs. Early action can bolster income and health in the near term while securing long-term climate benefits. Skea urged policymakers, the financial sector and civil society to scale scientifically grounded and socially balanced solutions to advance climate action, poverty reduction and gender equality together.