The COP29 climate summit in Baku has highlighted a contentious issue: the growing presence of industrial agriculture lobbyists at discussions intended to address the global climate crisis.
Analysis by DeSmog reveals that 204 delegates from the agriculture sector have attended this year’s talks, representing major corporations like JBS, Nestlé, Bayer, and PepsiCo.
While the number has declined since COP28, the influence of agribusiness remains substantial.
Agriculture is responsible for up to a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet the industry’s powerful lobbyists have increasingly become part of country delegations, granting them privileged access to negotiations.
Nearly 40% of this year’s agricultural delegates arrived with country badges, up significantly from previous years.
For instance, Brazil—a key player in the global agribusiness sector—brought 35 lobbyists, including representatives from major meat producers JBS, BRF, and Marfrig.
Critics argue that this outsized representation skews the focus of climate discussions.
Agribusiness interests overshadow urgent calls for community-driven climate action and systemic food reforms.According to Greenpeace’s An Lambrechts, there’s a clear conflict of interest when entities contributing heavily to climate change are involved in shaping policies meant to mitigate it.
Wanun Permpibul of Climate Watch Thailand echoed these concerns, emphasizing how Big Agriculture’s dominance sidelines smallholder farmers, Indigenous communities, and local food producers who have historically practiced sustainable farming.
Agribusiness lobbyists often advocate technical fixes to reduce emissions, such as efficiency measures or market-driven solutions. However, experts argue that such measures are insufficient.
A sustainable transformation of food systems, including reducing meat consumption in affluent nations and phasing out fossil fuel-dependent farming practices, is urgently needed.
The presence of agribusiness at COP29 underscores the need for reforms in how these summits are conducted.
As Teresa Anderson from ActionAid points out, corporate interests often overshadow grassroots voices advocating real, community-driven solutions to the climate crisis.
Without significant changes, the influence of Big Agriculture may continue to hinder meaningful progress toward global climate goals.