Belém, Brazil – 19 November 2025 – Ministers and global agriculture leaders launched a landmark effort to reduce methane and nitrous oxide emissions from the agriculture sector, two potent greenhouse gases that together account for 40% of human-emitted methane and 75% of nitrous oxide.
The new Farmers’ Initiative for Resilient and Sustainable Transformations (FIRST) and Belém Declaration on Fertilisers was launched at the Scaling Up Practical Solutions for Resilient Agri-Food Systems Joint Ministerial Meeting co-hosted by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), the Food and Agriculture for Sustainable Transformation (FAST) Partnership and Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) at COP30.
FIRST is the first coordinated South-South platform linking countries across Latin America, Africa and Asia to share practical, low-cost solutions that cut emissions, strengthen food security, and improve resilience. The initiative takes a “what’s in it for farmers” approach, putting producers at the centre of climate action funding actions that boost yields, enhance soil and animal health, and lower input costs while reducing methane and nitrous oxide emissions.
The initiative builds on the proven “solutions pipeline” model linking science, policy, and on-the-ground implementation to deliver measurable benefits for climate, clean air, and food security.
Recent findings from the 2024 Global Nitrous Oxide Assessment warn that without urgent action to cut rising N₂O emissions, keeping warming below 1.5 °C will be impossible. The report also identifies clear pathways to reduce emissions by more than 40% through measures already available today.
Brazil and the United Kingdom also launched a new Call to Action on Fertilisers to accelerate efforts to cut nitrous oxide and other emissions across the fertiliser value chain. The call to action urges more to be done to enhance nutrient use efficiency and reduce emissions from fertiliser production as a key pathway to delivering climate goals, protecting and restoring nature, and ensuring food security for all in an equitable and just manner. Complementing FIRST’s efforts to curb super pollutants across farming systems by advancing sustainable fertiliser production and use.
“The Declaration shows how we can cut harmful emissions while strengthening food security and supporting farmers’ shift to nature-positive practices. The UK is proud to co-lead these efforts, as well as co-chairing the CCAC with Brazil, turning science into solutions that deliver for people and nature,” said Mary Creagh, UK Minister for Nature.”
The Call to Action on Fertilisers invites the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to facilitate the coordination of existing international organisations, including Brazil’s Centre of Excellence in Fertilisers and Plant Nutrition, governments and initiatives to enhance international collaboration to reduce emissions from the production and use of fertilisers and drive international collaboration across five strategic pillars, as identified in the 2025 Breakthrough Agenda report. In coordination with the FAO’s FAST Partnership and the Global Fertiliser Challenge, to monitor progress, share data and foster coherence across initiatives.
“At COP30 in Belém, we have a unique chance to show that agriculture can lead the way on climate action. The Call to Action on Fertilisers and FIRST put farmers at the centre, improving resilience and productivity, while mitigating methane and nitrous oxide emissions. We call on all partners to join us in scaling these solutions globally,” said Bruno Brasil, Director of Sustainable Production, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA), Brazil.
These initiatives are complemented by the CCAC Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP), which identifies cost-effective, high-impact, and scalable solutions that can reduce super pollutant emissions. Recent reports include those on digital services for livestock and rice, black soldier flies, and bio covers in the waste sector. As part of the launch, global agricultural leaders pointed to the solutions identified by CCAC-TEAP as initiatives that could be immediately funded by the private sector and philanthropies for quick impact.
“Sustainable agrifood systems deliver wide-ranging benefits for climate, biodiversity, land, and food security; but lasting, scalable impact happens when farmers are in the driving seat. Initiatives like the FIRST Initiative and the FAST Partnership complement one another, catalysing finance and empowering farmers to lead the transformation towards resilient, sustainable, efficient and inclusive agrifood systems. Building on its longstanding collaboration with the CCAC, FAO welcomes the FIRST initiative and remains committed to supporting countries to scale up climate and clean air actions through agrifood systems,” said Kaveh Zahedi, Director of FAO’s Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment.
Super pollutant action is our climate emergency brake, essential to keep 1.5 °C within reach, offering a key pathway to avoid up to 0.6 °C of global warming by mid-century.
“The Climate and Clean Air Coalition’s strength lies in partnership approaches and developing solutions pipelines, turning science into policy and offering practical tools for farmers. With FIRST, we can accelerate methane and nitrous oxide mitigation on the ground – and COP30 is the moment to scale up what works”, said Martina Otto, Head of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition Secretariat, UN Environment Programme.
NOTES TO EDITORS
About the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC)
The Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) is a voluntary partnership of over 200 governments, intergovernmental organizations, businesses, scientific institutions and civil society organizations committed to protecting the climate and improving air quality through actions to reduce the super pollutants which are short-lived in the atmosphere: methane, black carbon, tropospheric ozone and HFCs, through a practical, measures-based approach.
The Coalition’s work is grounded in robust science and analysis and supported by a dedicated Trust Fund, which together have fostered high-level political commitment, in-country implementation, and tools that strengthen the case for action and accelerate action and results.
About FAO
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO’s goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. FAO seeks to support the 2030 Agenda through the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind. With 195 members – 194 countries and the European Union, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.
About FAST Partnership
The Food and Agriculture for Sustainable Transformation (FAST) Partnership is a multi-stakeholder initiative hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Launched at COP27, FAST aims to accelerate climate finance to transform agriculture and food systems by 2030. The Partnership works to strengthen both the quantity and quality of climate finance for agrifood systems, support adaptation, maintain the 1.5-degree pathway within reach, and safeguard food and economic security for vulnerable populations.
For more information, please contact:
- Vincent Hughes, Communications and Media Consultant, Climate and Clean Air Coalition Secretariat at United Nations Environment Programme – Vincent.Hughes [at] un.org (Vincent[dot]Hughes[at]un[dot]org)
- Ava Bahrami, Communications Officer, Climate and Clean Air Coalition Secretariat at United Nations Environment Programme – Ava.Bahrami [at] un.org (Ava[dot]Bahrami[at]un[dot]org)