More than 130 participants from 33 countries gathered in Addis Ababa from 7–9 September 2026 for the Continental Convening on Strengthening African Civil Society Climate Action on Food Systems and Agriculture Towards COP31 and COP32.
Organised by the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) in collaboration with Ethiopia’s Ministry of Planning and Development, the three-day convening brought together farmers, pastoralists, Indigenous Peoples, women and youth, civil society organisations, researchers, government representatives and climate negotiators to strengthen coordination and develop common African priorities for the global climate process.
A central message emerging from the convening was that Africa’s climate future cannot be separated from its food future. Participants highlighted the growing impacts of climate change on agriculture, food security and rural livelihoods and called for climate responses that reflect the realities and knowledge of communities on the frontline.
Discussions focused on four interconnected areas: Just Transition; Nutrition and Health; Agriculture and Food Systems within Adaptation; and Financial Flows. Participants called for greater recognition of agroecology, food sovereignty, Indigenous knowledge and farmer-managed seed systems, while emphasising the importance of placing food systems and agriculture at the centre of climate implementation.
Climate finance was a major concern. Participants called for substantially increased grant-based and directly accessible adaptation finance, with resources reaching farmers, pastoralists, fisherfolk, women, youth and other communities most affected by climate change. They also stressed that climate finance should not add to Africa’s debt burden.
The convening also included engagement with government representatives and climate negotiators, providing an opportunity to connect civil society priorities with national and continental climate processes. Participants emphasised the need for stronger coordination and a common African voice in the negotiations leading to COP31 and COP32.
The discussions culminated in the Addis Ababa African Civil Society Position Statement: “A common African voice for food sovereignty, climate resilience and just implementation.” The statement calls for adaptation, agriculture and food systems to be placed at the centre of climate action, alongside increased investment in African-led solutions such as agroecology, farmer-managed seed systems, healthy soils, biodiversity, Indigenous knowledge, resilient local infrastructure and territorial markets.
Participants also developed a Roadmap Towards COP32 to strengthen collective engagement through policy influence, coordination, knowledge and capacity development, and media and public communication.
The three-day convening concluded with the Addis Ababa Declaration by African Civil Society on Climate Action, Food Systems and Agriculture Towards COP31 and COP32, calling for climate commitments to move from pledges to implementation and for climate finance to reach the communities where adaptation is already taking place.
As Africa prepares for COP31 and looks towards COP32, the convening marked an important effort to strengthen a coordinated civil society voice and ensure that food systems, agriculture and the priorities of African communities are more firmly reflected in global climate action.
“It must be a COP that delivers for Africa.”
