From Pledge to Practice: Accelerating Methane Mitigation in Agrifood Systems

Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases, responsible for a significant share of near-term global warming. Rapid methane mitigation is widely recognized as one of the most effective levers to limit temperature increase in the short term while delivering co-benefits for air quality, public health, and food security.

The launch of the GMP at COP26 marked an important political breakthrough, with over 150 countries committing to reducing global methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030 compared to 2020 levels.

However, despite this growing political momentum, methane emissions from agrifood systems - particularly from livestock, rice cultivation, and food loss and waste - remain insufficiently addressed in both policy and implementation.

Agrifood systems account for roughly 40% of global methane emissions, yet mitigation efforts in this sector often lag behind those in energy and waste. Barriers include limited financing, lack of technical capacity, fragmented policy frameworks, and concerns about impacts on food security and livelihoods.

At the same time, a growing number of initiatives, coalitions, and technical actors are working on scalable solutions - from improved livestock management and feed innovations to sustainable rice cultivation and circular approaches to organic waste. What is often missing is stronger coordination, knowledge exchange, and a shared understanding of how to move from commitments to implementation at scale.

This side event aims to bring together key stakeholders to:
 

• Highlight the methane mitigation potential in agrifood systems.
• Showcase concrete solutions and experiences.
• Strengthen collaboration among actors working on methane in agriculture and food 
  systems.
• Identify actionable pathways to accelerate implementation under the UNFCCC process.
• Strengthen agriculture methane finance pathways, including ensuring that UNFCCC Article 6 methodologies are fit for agricultural mitigation and that methane‑related projects can effectively access carbon markets.