Frontline Community Delegation

Project Overview

A just transition of global food systems means creating positive change that benefits people, nature, and climate, centered around the voices of those who are most vulnerable, knowledgeable, and who produce the food that nourishes our world.

This is the foundation of Meridian’s Frontline Community Delegation: a dedicated group of global family farmers, Indigenous Peoples , women, youth, and local community leaders who work at the frontlines of climate action, food systems transformation, and community resilience. Together, they strive to elevate local experiences and challenges into the narratives of international high-level events—such as the annual conference of parties (COP)—to enact meaningful change.

In 2023, 45 Delegation members attended COP28 with participants from South and Southeast Asia, Asia Pacific, Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and the Middle East, and Latin America. Delegation members spoke at public side events, conferences, took interviews, and formed new partnerships to support their work. The feedback from members following the conference was full of enthusiasm, and with strong interest to continue fostering an ongoing relationship with Meridian.

Here’s a closer look at how (and why) the Delegation came to be, the reactions they’ve received from other global leaders since sharing their perspectives at COP28, and why they value being part of this effort.

The Challenge: Why This Work Matters

Two billion worldwide people lack access to sufficient, nutritious food, while the agriculture workers and their families who grow the world’s food make up two thirds of the 740 million people facing extreme poverty.

Access to clean water sources is becoming increasingly scarce for communities facing the most severe impact of climate change, yet more food is being produced today than ever before. Agricultural production and associated land use changes also account for one third of all greenhouse gas emissions. All of this adds up to one pressing, alarming truth: our planet’s food systems are failing to deliver for people, ecosystems, and the climate we all share.

Providing ample food to a growing global population while supporting food producers and protecting natural systems that sustain life is a key challenge of this decade. It is imperative that people everywhere work together to evolve how we grow and maintain our food crops for future generations.

Meridian recognizes this urgency, and in response, set out to form the Frontline Community Delegation.

The Partners: Who Supports the Delegation

The Delegation was made possible through our partnerships with Alianza Mesoamericana de Pueblos y Bosques (AMPB), Global Alliance of Territorial Communities (GATC), Redes Chaco, the World Farmers’ Organization (WFO), and the World Rural Forum (WRF).

Additionally, this meaningful work could not be fulfilled without funding support from ClimateWorks Foundation for COP27 and The Robertson Foundation for COP28.

The Process: How the Delegation Was Formed

In early 2022, Meridian came up with a plan to create a group with wide-ranging perspectives and invaluable knowledge of communities working on the frontlines of the climate crisis. Alejo Maggini played a key role in driving this vision forward, serving as a coordinator, interpreter, and main point of contact for the Delegation since the candidate selection process.

Keeping Meridian’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) principles at the forefront of their strategy, Alejo and his team engaged farmers, Indigenous Peoples, and organizations around the world to share their intent for the Delegation and garner interest from potential candidates.

With funding from the ClimateWorks Foundation, the first Delegation of 19 farmers and Indigenous Peoples that attended COP27 served as a true testament to the importance of fostering a sense of community across geographies, while raising awareness of the importance of a food system transition that benefits people, nature, and planet. With this in mind, Meridian committed to searching for additional members to join the diverse group in 2023, and the Delegation expanded its geographic reach and expertise by convening more members to attend COP28 in Dubai.

Through Meridian’s existing partnerships and funding from The Robertson Foundation, Alejo invited key partners to encourage their community leaders to apply to be part of the expanded Delegation that would attend COP28. Each organization was asked to identify people that would represent the collective view of their communities and initiatives, in order to maximize the collective impact at the conference.

“During the selection process, Meridian hosted interviews in four languages and heard from 55 candidates across communities in Latin America, North Africa and the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and Asia Pacific, prioritizing the participation of candidates marginalized from global decision processes,” Maggini explained.

“In these interviews, we heard the specific needs expressed by our community partners that would need to be met in order to participate. Most of them required partial financial assistance, technical training, or accreditation support, so we took the steps to allocate funding—thanks to our generous partners— to complement our candidates’ resources.”

Following the selection process, Alejo worked closely with Liz Duxbury, a senior project coordinator at Meridian Institute, to develop and deliver a logistics plan that responded to each member’s needs. Some of these needs included travel, accommodation, transportation, media training, and interpretation to facilitate full and effective member participation at the conference. Between all 45 members , 39% spoke Spanish, 13% French, and 7% Portuguese, and 5% Bahasa.

“From the Meridian side, we were proud to serve as enablers for this diverse, talented, and committed group of leaders to experience and influence food systems, climate, and resilience discussions at COP28. Their contributions grounded current challenges in everyday realities and instilled a sense of urgency and hope that only those living on the frontlines can effectively and accurately reflect,” Alejo shared.

The Outcome: Wins from COP28

As a result of their participation at COP28, the Delegation achieved the following to help advance their work and increase awareness of the critical need for a transformation of food systems across worldwide communities:

Empowerment of marginalized voices in key forums

Family farmers and Indigenous leaders took the stage in multiple high-level events, participated in panels, and engaged other attendees directly to share their priorities. Through these efforts, Delegation members said they were able to reach new audiences they wouldn’t have been able to reach otherwise, including government officials, philanthropic organizations, corporate businesses, and civil society leadership.

Increased cohesion in messaging and priorities

Outside of events and forums, Meridian facilitated multiple opportunities for members to meet with other conference attendees and develop common narratives, while overcoming language and context barriers. The Delegation also caught attention from the media. In partnership with Burness, the Global Strategic Communications Council Network, and Greenhouse Communications, coverage focused on issues raised by the Delegation spanned over 55 articles in a multitude of countries and languages, including Europe, Southern Asia, Eastern Asia, South America, North America, and East Africa.

Many members of the Delegation proactively contacted their own government officials present at the conference, as well, to share their programs and engage in direct conversation. Being physically present at COP helped facilitate more opportunities on the ground, providing members with a greater sense of legitimacy in climate discussions.

Broader representation of women and younger generations

Of the Delegation members who presented at COP28, 58% (22) identified themselves as women and 34% (13) identified as youth. These leaders ensured that the gender and youth dimensions of transforming food and agriculture and climate action were present and brought to the negotiating table, allowing them to effectively address multidimensional climate challenges from their own perspectives.

Wide-reaching and enduring sense of community

Members of the Delegation are still connected today and regularly share their priorities with others, both locally and globally. Some of their critical discussion topics include how to access climate financing and long-term funding for local efforts, new ways to participate in decision-making spaces, and how to create capacity-building opportunities that amplify advocacy efforts, resilience-related services, and internal organization development.

Holly Foster is a Mediator and Program Associate with Meridian who supported the program’s management and Delegation members as they spread awareness about the climate issues facing their communities at COP28. Reflecting on this experience, she shared that despite the differences in regions, ecosystems, languages, and stakeholders represented, frontline leaders acknowledged that they have all faced similar challenges and realities regarding access to finance, decision-making, advocacy, visibility, strategic partnerships, and relationships building when it comes to this work.

“The delegates were exceptional storytellers. Oftentimes, these were grounding moments for audiences. Their words helped to bind people together to forge a common goal, which set the scene for many wider, more inclusive discussions.”

“A just transition for our global food systems cannot happen without the input, collaboration, and respect of all stakeholders, especially those working on the frontlines who have seen the impact of the climate crisis on their landscapes and communities, and have first-hand knowledge on how their land and biodiversity can be protected and regenerated,” she said.

“The delegates were exceptional storytellers, and expertly weaved narratives during events that bound together technical knowledge with their own realities and personal experiences facing the climate crisis. Oftentimes, these were grounding moments for audiences. Their words helped to bind people together to forge a common goal, which set the scene for many wider, more inclusive discussions.”

The Impact: Voices of the Delegation

Priscilla Chitimwango (Zambia)

“One of my most memorable moments from COP28 was when Meridian organized meetings with one of the big food producers, Indigenous groups, and those of us present from Africa for each individual to give their diverse input on the effects of climate change and how we are trying to curb or adapt, as we continue trying to produce food in harmony with the environment. For me, that stood out a lot and provided a diverse array of knowledge.

The exposure and networking that the Frontline Community Delegation provided helped me learn so much, and I have been able to apply my knowledge into the Zambian context. For example, I am able to recognize that renewable energy is a key player in the production of food, as it can help our farmers continue their production of food even when there has been low rainfall. Investments in solar pumps and solar irrigators help our farmers to be resilient and adapt to the harsh climate change.”

Sara Omi (Panamà)

“My most memorable moment was connecting with leaders who have the same vision of how to protect our Mother Earth through our own food systems of Indigenous Peoples and women, along with our knowledge and spirituality. For me, this has been a unique opportunity that we have to continue replicating so that our messages reach the decision makers and they can make decisions effectively while respecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

I want to thank the Meridian Institute for the opportunity to connect and, above all, make our voices heard. Being [present at] COP helps us connect with other people so that our messages can be broader and there is awareness of how we are treating the Earth. She is sick and we need to repair her. This has to do precisely with our recognition of rights, free and informed consultation, and access to direct financing for the communities that work every day to keep our forests intact. These contributions are extremely important, not only for the survival of Indigenous Peoples, but for the survival of all of us who inhabit our Earth.”

See the full list of Delegation members.

Looking to the Future: What’s Next?

Next steps are already underway for the future of the Frontline Community Delegation. Currently, this involves raising funds to expand their work for inclusion at the Rio Conventions, with the expectation of increasing alignment in advocacy priorities and collaboration to influence narratives for COP30. Meridian is also connecting with government negotiators to close the gaps between the language in the official COP resolutions and the realities of frontline leaders on the ground.

In the words of two Delegation members from Brazil and Argentina, Pablo Frere and Luiz Vicente Facco: “The fact that we can align on the key priorities across regions, languages, farming [practices], and Indigenous communities and push for common goals as a group is encouraging. It gets us closer to realizing change. We just need to be heard.”

If you or someone from your organization is interested in learning more about our work to support frontline community representatives, contact us here.