Farmers in the Heat: Urgency of Climate Finance at the UN Summit

Esther Penunia, a farmer in the Philippines, highlights the struggles of small farmers amid climate change. As calls grow for climate finance at the UN summit, Penunia emphasizes the need for funds to aid agriculture adaption. Yet disputes remain over prioritizing agriculture or fossil fuel reduction.

The impact of extreme heat on farming has left Esther Penunia dismayed, but her concerns extend beyond her own losses. As secretary-general of the Asian Farmers Association, Penunia stresses the crisis facing small farmers globally, urging that meaningful climate finance be directed to agriculture.

With climate change imperiling agriculture-dependent economies, particularly in the Global South, Penunia argues at the UN climate summit for tangible investments aimed at recovery from natural disasters and the funding of adaptive farming technologies. However, disparities between available climate finance and the actual needs remain vast.

Concerns mount as less than 1% of climate finance benefits small farmers, despite agriculture's significant role in greenhouse gas emissions. While the debate continues over the allocation of funds, Penunia and other advocates emphasize the immediate necessity for resources to support agricultural adaptation.

(With inputs from agencies.)