Authors: Maria Victoria Folkerts Cincurá, Clim-Eat; Susannah Sallu, University of Leeds; Aditya Alta, Center for Indonesian Policy Studies; and Bettie Luwuge, Tanzania Forest Conservation Group
The Global Climate-Smart Agriculture Conference brought together more than 180 participants from governments, research organizations, private sector and civil society. A diversity of voices from around the world joined discussions on food systems transition, but one issue remained prevalent: insufficient representation of farmers and frontline food system communities, and recognition of their critical voices in current agricultural policies and programmes.
As co-host of the conference, Clim-Eat recognizes the problem and strives to improve. As the official Outcome Document states, “any conversation on transformation must address the question of who holds the power to realize change”. The path to a truly effective and just food system transition requires a fundamental power shift: we must stop talking at farmers and start designing solutions with them.
The need for meaningful and effective engagement is the focus of the Voices for Just Rural Transition (V4JRT) project, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO). In partnership with the University of Leeds, the Center for Indonesian Policy Studies, and the Tanzania Forest Conservation Group, Clim-Eat is working to place the voices of farmers at the heart of inclusive action on agricultural policy. During the conference, the team dug deeper to understand global perspectives on the mechanisms of inclusive policy-making.
FROM TOKENISM TO MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION
A just rural transition calls for farmers’ meaningful participation at each step of policy-making processes, from local convenings to global dialogue. Including representation from marginalized stakeholder groups in decision-making processes not only enhances their legitimacy, but also the long-term sustainability of food systems transformation. However, risk of tokenisation emerges if farmers are solely consulted on decisions, rather than active and informed participants in the policy process.
Meaningful participation addresses knowledge and power asymmetries between stakeholders. Active and informed input from marginalized groups takes shape within diverse contexts and local realities, however capacity-building efforts are crucial in enabling all stakeholder voices to be heard – including investment in extension services, localized research, and knowledge sharing hubs at local, national, and international levels.
At the same time, the co-production of evidence in partnership with farmers and frontline communities with the use of participatory methods – such as local forums and regular dialogue processes – can align scientific metrics with frontline knowledge. Through civil society partnership, farmers can be directly involved in co-creating climate solutions, speaking to their unique experiences, owned data and local resources, and practical needs to achieve a sustainable food systems transition.
Yet, farmers are not a homogenous group, and their needs and experiences are broad and variable. Despite increasing efforts to represent the voices of farmers during global dialogue, a significant challenge remains in policy-makers receiving and interpreting the key issues facing farming communities. When trying to capture the main message from different voices, it is easy to let the loudest take control. Techniques such as sampling or clustering may support in capturing a range of voices, but power asymmetries continue to exist at all levels of the food system. Inclusive action needs not only to ensure equitable representation of these voices, but also empower individuals or sub-groups with limited capacity and access.
ADAPTING THE CURRENT SYSTEM: BUILDING THE MECHANICS OF INCLUSION
The current lack of supportive institutional structures, resources, and logistical challenges can obstruct direct engagement with farmers and frontline communities. Civil society has a pivotal role in building partnerships and enabling ongoing learning. They can provide support in evaluating existing participatory processes and recognize failures to reflect on how policy and practice need to change, both at national and global levels.
Food systems transformation must unlock systemic change and not be a one-off pilot project. Policies and practices must balance trade-offs, support farmers and frontline communities through long-term transition, and enable direct investment and innovation. Incentives and support mechanisms to these policies must be linked to trackable results that can be monitored in simple and adaptable ways. Sectors and ministerial bodies must partner to unlock holistic change in the system, including the involvement of finance ministries to set up reliable and predictable financing mechanisms.
However, the urgency of the climate crisis demands rapid and decisive action. The Global Climate-Smart Agriculture Conference created a valuable space to move this discussion forward, and called for action over discussions about paradigms. It showcased groundbreaking research and cutting-edge innovations, worked to inform global discussions and policy frameworks, and facilitated commitments for impact. The conference highlighted that bridging the gap between evidence, policy design, and implementation remains a central challenge; strategic partnerships and capacity-building initiatives at multiple levels remain crucial for climate-resilient agriculture; and that there is still a need to address power dynamics to ensure the agricultural agenda reflects the priorities of those at the hearts of our food systems.
