Climate Change

Due to the way they are organized today, land use and food systems are responsible for around 32 % of global greenhouse gas emissions and contribute significantly to climate change. Agriculture alone takes up around 40 % of land worldwide, thereby influencing the Earth's diverse ecosystems. At the same time, demand for land is growing, for example for carbon storage or energy production. As a result, fertile arable land is increasingly scarce while competing demands for its use are growing. A fair and sustainable transformation of these systems is crucial for a climate-resilient and ecologically sustainable world. This requires secure land rights, sustainable agricultural production, fair value chains, and the availability of and access to healthy food. 

Through our support, we strengthen communities, organizations, and networks that are committed to a fair and sustainable transformation of land use. Food systems must be designed to be fair, sustainable, and healthy for all people. This also means that food must be available, affordable, and attractive. It should come from production systems that protect the climate while ensuring biodiversity and social justice. Agricultural actors need secure access to land and resources for sustainable production and to adapt to the consequences of climate change. It is crucial for people whose livelihoods depend on land use and who are particularly affected by climate change to actively participate in shaping the necessary changes and to play a key role in decision-making. This requires recognition of their rights and their knowledge for building climate resilience. Political frameworks at every level must always be designed to enable and promote climate-resilient land use. 

We support our partners in securing access to resources – especially land – and in creating fair, sustainable food systems. We advocate for inclusive and participatory decision-making processes in climate, agriculture, and food policy. Together with our partners, we work to highlight and address in political processes the complex relationships between land use and food systems. In addition, we are engaged in philanthropic and political spheres in developing solutions that empower and center people with lived experiences. Our regional priorities are in Germany and the European context, as well as in West Africa and West Asia.