From November 10 to 21, 2025, the 30th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was held in Belém, Brazil. As a pivotal conference following the full implementation phase of the Paris Agreement, COP30 not only carried the expectation of accelerating global climate action but also aimed to further deepen international cooperation in areas such as adaptation, mitigation, finance, and nature conservation. Notably, as a major country in forests and biodiversity, Brazil, during its presidency, highlighted "forest-climate-food" synergistic transformation as one of the core agenda items. This year's conference continued and reinforced the recent trend of integrating food and climate issues, with the transformation of agrifood systems being designated as one of COP30's six main themes. This marks a further elevation in global attention to the climate resilience, sustainable development, nutrition, and food security of agrifood systems.

Professor Shenggen Fan, Dean of the Academy of Global Food Economics and Policy (AGFEP), attended the conference in Brazil as a representative of the academic community. As a key speaker, Dean Fan participated in multiple thematic sessions and discussions organized by institutions including the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, the Government of Singapore, Gates Foundation, World Resources Institute (WRI), Farm Animal Investment Risk & Return (FAIRR) Initiative, and The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN). Topics covered the establishment of green supply chains for agrifood systems, deepening South-South cooperation, mobilizing climate finance, new protein collaboration, and food loss and waste governance.

In discussions related to supply chain, Professor Fan pointed out that while the midstream sector of agrifood systems are crucial for national economies and employment, they face challenges such as food waste, nutrient loss, and reliance on fossil fuels. A large number of smallholders are disadvantaged in terms of policy support, financing, and technology, making it difficult for them to improve efficiency and reduce losses. In response, enhancing supply chain transparency and ensuring consumers' right to know about food origins are fundamental to promoting sustainable production and responsible consumption.

Regarding South-South cooperation in agrifood value chains, Professor Fan noted that under the increasing pressures of global warming and resource constraints, the agrifood systems of the Global South are facing challenges from climate shocks and trade globalization. There is an urgent need to build green value chains through technological innovation and deeper South-South cooperation. By strengthening technology sharing, trade and investment, and policy collaboration, the resilience and sustainability of agrifood systems can be jointly enhanced.

On climate finance in the agrifood sector, Professor Fan stated that although agrifood systems account for one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, only about 7% of climate adaptation and mitigation funds currently flow to agriculture and food. Faced with challenges such as high investment risks, low profit margins, and fragmented investees in the agrifood sector, he suggested leveraging prudent public investment to catalyze private capital. This involves creating an enabling institutional environment with secured property rights and credit rating systems, and utilizing technologies such as AI and mobile internet to reduce the cost and difficulty for smallholder farmers to access climate finance.

Regarding the development of the new protein industry, Professor Fan emphasized that advancing new proteins is not only a necessary measure to address climate change and food security challenges but also an opportunity to cultivate competitive advantages in the future food industry. Singapore, China, and Brazil each have strengths in regulatory policies, technological R&D, and raw material production and supply for new proteins. Countries in the Asia-Pacific region should work together to enhance exchanges and cooperation in policy, technology, investment, and consumer communication, jointly promoting the development of the new protein industry for mutual benefit.

In discussions on food loss reduction, Professor Fan highlighted that food loss and waste are closely linked to climate change, contributing to approximately 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing food loss and waste can not only conserve resources and cut emissions but also improve nutrition and food security. China is a global leader in combating food waste, having achieved initial results through legislation, nationwide campaigns, and supply chain optimization. Looking forward, reducing food waste at the consumption end holds significant emission reduction potential. This can be achieved through policy guidance, information disclosure, and education to shift consumer awareness and behavior, thereby reducing waste at the dining table.

Looking forward, Professor Fan expressed hope that key issues such as emission reductions and financing in agrifood systems would be incorporated into the official COP discussions. China maintains an open mindset and is willing to collaborate with all stakeholders to transform the agrifood systems' urgent challenges into actionable solutions.