COP31 Panel: Small Producers Need Patient, De-Risked Climate Finance
COP 31 Presidency Events • United NationsNovember 13, 2026
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Only about 4% of climate finance reaches agriculture, and the small firms that grow, process and trade food are paying the price. That was the core message of a Nov. 13, 2026, COP31 Finance and Trade Day panel on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and climate-ready trade, where speakers from the United Nations, Iraq, Fairtrade and the private sector pressed for patient capital, fair cost-sharing and stable trade rules. The session was informational, and no formal action was taken.
- About 4% of climate finance goes to agriculture, the Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) chief economist said, as he proposed an SME financing facility
- Fairtrade and a farm-sector CEO called for patient capital and fairer sharing of sustainability costs
- Supply chains are shifting from "just in time" to "just in case" amid Hormuz, Black Sea and El Niño shocks
- Iraq outlined a 150-specialist NDC 3 process and called oil-and-gas dependence its main green-jobs hurdle
- Energy access must come before AI for Global South SMEs, an energy engineer warned
Why it matters: Without accessible finance, small food producers cannot absorb shocks or adopt climate-resilient practices. These are the cooperatives, farms and processors that supply local markets and export chains.
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