TIB: Climate, DRR & Environment … and Food Systems

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  • Climate, DRR & Environment … and Food Systems

    Thematic Integration Brief by AFS and CDE Networks

    PDF795.87 kB28 April 2026

Why does climate and environment matter for food systems ?

Food systems are both highly exposed to climate and environmental risks — and are among the strongest levers to address them.

As such, food systems offer powerful solutions. Transforming food systems towards more sustainably managed systems can : store carbon and reduce climate and disaster risks, protect ecosystems and biodiversity, lower emissions and environmental footprints, strengthen food and nutrition security, and support livelihoods and social stability. This requires coordinated action across the entire value chain, combining risk reduction, climate action and environmental sustainability.

Integrating climate, environmental and disaster risk considerations into food systems programming supports SDC’s objectives on resilience, sustainability and inclusive development. A systems‑based approach enables synergies across sectors while reducing unintended negative impacts and long‑term risks.

Beyond the SDGs, this also aligns with national, regional and global frameworks. Leveraging on these is essential for effectiveness, credibility and influence.

• 💡  Interconnections at a glance

  Food systems lie at the heart of the relationship between climate change, environmental sustainability and disaster risk. From production to consumption, they both depend on healthy ecosystems and a stable climate, and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss and pressure on land and water.

  Climate change and environmental degradation increase the frequency and intensity of hazards such as droughts, floods, heatwaves and pests, directly affecting crop yields, livestock, fisheries and food supply chains. These shocks can disrupt markets, raise food prices and deepen food and nutrition insecurity - especially for vulnerable populations.

  At the same time, current food systems are a major driver of environmental change. They account for a significant share of global greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation and biodiversity loss, while food loss and waste represent a major inefficiency in the use of land, water and energy.

• ❌  5 most common mistakes

  Treating food systems as “agriculture only”
  Don’t : reduce food systems to primary production (crops and livestock), while neglecting processing, storage, transport, markets, consumption and waste.
  Do : Adopt a full food systems lens, from production to consumption, including infrastructure, markets, governance and behaviour.

  Addressing climate, environment and DRR in silos
  Don’t : design parallel climate, environmental or DRR measures without recognising their interactions or trade‑offs within food systems.
  Do : Apply risk‑informed, integrated planning, identifying synergies between mitigation, adaptation, ecosystem protection and disaster preparedness

  Focusing on shocks, not on systemic vulnerability
  Don’t : prioritise visible shocks (droughts, floods, conflict) while overlooking chronic vulnerabilities built into food systems.
  Do : Shift from a “shock response” mindset to resilience and vulnerability reduction, addressing root causes over time

  Underestimating consumption and demand‑side drivers
  Don’t : treat consumption patterns as outside the scope of CDE‑food systems work, or as purely individual choices.
  Do : Address food environments, affordability, information and incentives, using policy tools such as public procurement, labelling and awareness‑raising

  Treating governance, power and inclusion as secondary issues
  Don’t : view governance, institutions, finance and inclusion as “enabling conditions” rather than core determinants of risk and resilience.
  Do : Place governance, participation, accountability and equity at the centre of CDE–food systems analysis and action

• ✅  Recommended fields of action

  Build sustainable and resilient production systems

  • Promote agroecology, agroforestry and diversified farming
  • Improve soil health, water efficiency and ecosystem services
  • Support climate‑resilient crops and livestock
  • Support genetic diversity and seed systems (local seeds, breeds, access to diversity)
  • Strengthen pastoral, fisheries and forest‑food systems explicitly (often under‑represented)
  • Restore degraded land and protect high‑value ecosystems
  • Integrate climate and disaster risk assessments into farm‑level and landscape‑level planning

  Reduce food system emissions and environmental footprints

  • Prevent deforestation and land degradation
  • Reduce food loss and waste across value chains
  • Improve energy efficiency in processing, storage and transport
  • Introduce true cost accounting and environmental footprint transparency
  • Address chemical pollution risks (fertilisers, pesticides, antimicrobial resistance)
  • Strengthen circular approaches (reuse, recycling, bioeconomy).
  • Explicitly link circularity to safe reuse (e.g. wastewater, organic waste, biofertilisers)

  Strengthen resilience across food value chains

  • Diversify supply chains and reduce over‑dependence
  • Promote redundancy and buffer capacity (stocks, storage, decentralised logistics)
  • Improve storage, transport and market access
  • Support local and territorial food systems
  • Integrate climate and risk information into planning
  • Embed anticipatory action and early warning systems in food supply chains
  • Strengthen crisis governance and coordination mechanisms (public–private, regional)

  Enable sustainable consumption and healthy diets

  • Encourage nutritious, affordable and sustainable diets
  • Promote plant‑rich food choices adapted to local contexts
  • Reduce over‑consumption and food waste at consumer level
  • Use public procurement, labelling and awareness campaigns
  • Link dietary change to social protection and affordability
  • Explicitly address urban food environments and urban - peri‑urban linkages
  • Integrate food safety and nutrition risks under climate stress (heat, contamination)

  Create enabling policies, finance and institutions

  • Align agriculture, climate, environment and DRR policies
  • Invest in research, extension and innovation
  • Expand access to finance, insurance and social protection
  • Clarify links to participation, rights‑based approaches and accountability
  • Ensure women, smallholders and vulnerable groups are not left behind
  • Strengthen institutional capacities at local and national levels
  • Make governance, accountability and power relations explicit
  • Include data, monitoring and decision‑support systems

• 🌍  Policy coherence

  Aligning food systems interventions with national, regional and global frameworks:

  • Reinforces country ownership and policy coherence by anchoring actions in agreed strategies and priorities
  • Strengthens political leverage, positioning food systems as a strategic entry point for climate, environment and DRR policy dialogue
  • Supports coordination across sectors and governance levels, reducing fragmentation and duplication
  • Facilitates access to finance and partnerships by demonstrating clear contribution to national commitments and international agendas.

  What are the key frameworks within which YOU work ? Agricultural strategy, Nationally-Determined Contributions (UNFCCC-related), National food transformation pathways, Biodiversity strategies (CBD-related), Land Degradation Neutrality (UNCCD-related), the CAADP, etc.

• 📋  Reporting

  Systematic reporting is essential to demonstrate results and ensure accountability. It enables:

  • Consistent tracking of food systems contributions to climate, environment and DRR objectives
  • Aggregation of results across projects, programmes and portfolios for institutional reporting
  • Evidence‑based portfolio management and learning
  • Credible communication of impact to partners, donors and decision‑makers
  • Use of Climate Policy Markers (PM) to tag, monitor and report interventions in a harmonised and transparent manner

  Who do YOU need to report to ? What evidence can YOU bring for policy and operational impact ?

Questions?

If you have any question, or wish to call upon resources or expertise, don’t hesitate to reach out to us – or contact members through the MS Teams channel !

K-HUB > Thematic Interfaces > Food Systems and Climate, DRR & Environment