COP30 marked a definitive shift in global climate diplomacy, placing agriculture and rural communities squarely at the center of climate action. For the first time at a climate summit of this scale, agrifood systems — and the millions who power them — shaped negotiations, agenda setting, and global commitments. The Belém Declaration made one message clear: food security, land stewardship, and climate resilience are inseparable pillars of the world’s climate future.

Held in the heart of the Amazon, COP30 signaled that the next decade must integrate food systems into climate strategies with unprecedented ambition. Governments, scientists, global institutions, and — critically — farmers and Indigenous communities delivered a unified consensus: there is no climate resilience without transforming the way the world produces food.

Amid this pivotal moment, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) showcased the breadth of its global work, presenting evidence-backed innovations and grounded partnerships that strengthen resilience from farm to region. At the CGIAR–FAO Agriculture and Food Pavilion, CIMMYT led high-level discussions on agricultural adaptation, digital advisory systems, sustainable nitrogen management, and soil health — reinforcing that science-driven solutions must emerge directly from territories and food-producing communities. CIMMYT also featured prominently at the Gates Foundation’s Innovation Showcase, demonstrating next-generation technologies tailored for intensifying climate challenges.

A Decisive Turn in Global Climate Commitments

Negotiators advanced the most consequential agriculture-linked pledges yet:

Tripling global adaptation finance by 2035

Launching the Global Implementation Accelerator and the Belém Mission to safeguard the 1.5°C goal

Strengthening the Global Goal on Adaptation

Committing countries to explicitly integrate food systems into their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) before 2027

This represents the strongest signal to date that food systems will enter the core architecture of the Paris Agreement.

Putting Farmers at the Center of Climate Adaptation

CIMMYT highlighted its work with rural communities through locally led innovation platforms, translating advanced analytics into practical tools that strengthen on-the-ground decision-making. Technologies such as Agrotutor, community-driven data systems, and agroclimatic analytics are helping farmers manage increasingly erratic climate patterns with greater precision and confidence.

Accelerating Low-Emission Agriculture

Low-emission models dominated the conversation — and CIMMYT emphasized solutions that reduce agriculture’s carbon footprint without compromising productivity. Advances in efficient nitrogen management, conservation agriculture, and regenerative practices emerged as central levers.

Soil — the world’s largest terrestrial carbon sink — became a strategic focal point. With nutrients cycling, carbon storage, and resilience converging in the soil, CIMMYT underscored intelligent nitrogen management as a scientific frontier capable of reshaping global agrifood systems.

One of the most talked-about innovations was CropSustaiN, which integrates biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) — a natural ability of certain plants to suppress soil nitrification, reducing emissions and nutrient losses. The platform opens pathways to developing wheat varieties that require fewer inputs, lowering costs for farmers while easing environmental pressure.

Seed Systems as Climate Infrastructure

COP30 also elevated seed and germplasm systems as foundational climate infrastructure. Together with global partners, CIMMYT championed an integrated model where long-term conservation, community seed banks, and in situ practices work in sync to protect biodiversity while ensuring farmers have access to climate-ready varieties.

CIMMYT’s Germplasm Bank — supporting over 80 countries — was recognized as a critical reservoir of resilience. Nearly 70% of global wheat and more than half of global maize trace their origins to CIMMYT-developed materials, underscoring the organization’s unrivaled role in safeguarding and distributing genetic diversity.

A Unified Call to Action

Throughout COP30, CIMMYT engaged with partners including IICA, EMBRAPA, the Coalition of Action for Soil Health, Food Tank, and CGIAR centers to reinforce a shared commitment: science must serve farmers, and transforming food systems demands deep collaboration, community leadership, and inclusive action.

COP30 ultimately confirmed what frontline communities have long known — agriculture is indispensable to climate action. Farmers are demanding concrete solutions, territories require robust adaptation pathways, and science offers the tools to deliver both.

CIMMYT reaffirms its commitment to advancing actionable science, expanding partnerships, and delivering innovations that work for those who feed the world. Working alongside farmers, public institutions, Indigenous communities, and global partners, CIMMYT is building agrifood systems capable of sustaining the planet — and the people who depend on it — in an era of escalating climate uncertainty.