8–12 September, Rome. A beautiful new visual art display has opened in FAO headquarters showcasing prominent FAO-led initiatives that bring much needed climate finance to agrifood systems. The exhibit was formally unveiled during the 2025 Forum of the Standing Committee of Finance (SCF) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, accompanied by Kaveh Zahedi, Director of FAO’s Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment (OCB).
In his opening remarks to the SCF Forum, Mr Zahedi noted that “climate finance flows to agrifood systems are nowhere near their potential, despite being a critical trigger to reducing emissions and transforming agrifood systems". The temporary exhibit aims to inform SCF delegates of the climate, biodiversity and food security gains that can be achieved by upscaling investment and ambition in agrifood systems.
Climate finance week
Hot on the heels of the Second workshop in 2025 under the Sharm el-Sheikh Dialogue held on 6–7 September, the SCF Forum is just one of a series of high-level events taking place in FAO headquarters in the second week of September. Topping the bill are the SCF’s 38th meeting (SCF38), the launch of the new Global Environment Facility (GEF) Food Systems Integrated Programme, the soft launch of the FAO-COP 30 Resilient Agriculture Investment for Net Zero Land Degradation (RAIZ) initiative, and a meeting of the FAO-led Food and Agriculture for Sustainable Transformation (FAST) Partnership. The meetings bring together over 250 participants from more than 90 countries, representing over 170 governments, civil society, the UN, and other intergovernmental organizations.
With climate finance again poised to be one of the main topics at November’s COP 30 climate conference in Belem, Brazil, the week’s discussions are also a timely reminder to investors of the myriad “win-win” opportunities available in agriculture.
A closer look at the exhibit
Adjacent to the high-level events is the climate finance exhibit, the theme of which is “Delivering climate solutions through agrifood systems”. Housed within a harmonious circular wall signifying the power of collaboration and union, it was designed by FAO creatives Lucia Moro, Fiona Bottigliero, Carlotta Nardi and Clara Proenca. Describing the structure, Ms Moro said: “The underlying concept is that no one element is alone, each relies on the others to complete the perfect circle”. When relating this concept to a complex global challenge such as climate change, she added: “This means joining up thinking, developing synergies between projects and programmes, reaching across sectors and geographical boundaries, and ensuring that all actors in society – especially the most vulnerable and disadvantaged – are included.”
Through six compelling stories of FAO and partner programme impact – including SCALA – and animated infographics, the installation showcases how climate finance is making a difference for communities around the world in a visually engaging and interactive space. It features a two-minute video loop and text board highlighting examples of transformative SCALA work in Egypt, Thailand, Costa Rica, Senegal, Cambodia, and Colombia. Overall, SCALA has supported more than 20 countries to bridge the climate finance gap through co-designing innovative and context-based agrifood solutions that are scalable and investible. The exhibit is a creative way of showing this to a captive audience looking to identify smart climate funding opportunities.
Julia Wolf, FAO Global Coordinator of SCALA, declared: “It’s an honour for SCALA to be featured in this important exhibit, especially as the ‘completing the circle’ concept is a great way of explaining how the programme operates. We are cross UN agency, cross government, cross sector, and cross stakeholder group. We know to build climate resilience, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, restore ecosystems and strengthen food security, we need to bring all elements together to close the circle – including the large-scale climate finance needed to make a lasting impact.”
The Scaling Climate Ambition on Land Use and Agriculture through Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plans is a joint initiative of UNDP and FAO, supported by Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI).