A report by the High-Level Panel for a Just Rural Transition
Every year, governments spend more than USD 842 billion in public support for agriculture. While this expenditure shapes global food systems and rural livelihoods, it currently delivers poor value for farmers, soil health, and ultimately food systems, as it predominantly supports inefficient, high-emission and nature-depleting agricultural models. Small-scale food producers, including crop cultivators, livestock keepers and fishers, produce up to 70% of the world’s food, but largely suffer the consequences of the impacts of climate change and these systems, while being left out of policy-making processes, facing extreme poverty and receiving a mere 0.7% of climate finance.
“Small-scale food producers, including crop cultivators, livestock keepers and fishers, produce up to 70% of the world’s food, but largely suffer the consequences of the impacts of climate change and these systems, while being left out of policy-making processes, facing extreme poverty and receiving a mere 0.7% of climate finance.”
This report by the High-Level Panel for a Just Rural Transition goes beyond making the case for repurposing this immense financial lever — that case has already been made, powerfully and repeatedly, over the past decade. Its purpose is to show how: a practical, political-economy playbook for overcoming the vested interests, institutional inertia and political risk that have stalled reform for years.
Crucially, a just rural transition demands holistic action, including robust labour protections, broader policies for climate and nature, and responsible corporate practices. This report focuses on public support to agriculture as an important lever within this wider agenda for action.
