On 4-5 March 2025, WWF Thailand hosted “Enhancing Thailand’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) Towards Transparent, Responsible, and Sustainable Food Systems” a multi-stakeholder collaborative workshop to present the Food Forward NDC Tool in Bangkok, Thailand. The aim of highlighting this tool is to start and dialogue on the importance of food systems to climate action and to begin actions towards its inclusion in NDC 3.0 to be submitted later in 2025. Organised in conjunction with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ (FAO) own Agrifood NDC workshop, which took place in the same week, it is clear that goal for food systems transformation is a shared vision across varying international organisations.
Developed by WWF, in collaboration with Climate Focus, UNEP, CGIAR, FAO, and the NDC Partnership, the tool represents an international joint effort for food systems transformation. The Food Forward NDC Tool was developed to encourage and assist local governments to include food systems into NDC 3.0. Through recommended policy measures and specific recommended intervention areas, the tool acts as a guidance for actionable measures to be developed to make the inclusion food systems transformation in their latest NDC submission as a tool to reduce GHG emissions more attainable.
Attended by a wide range of stakeholders form different sectors, including government representatives (including those from agencies who directly contribute to Thailand’s NDC submissions like MNRE, MHESI, and MOAC), intergovernmental organisations, and other iNGOs. With these different attendees participating throughout, the workshop also became a starting point for climate action through food, and a basis for collaboration going forward.
The opening address of the workshop was given by Dr. Michael Roy, Conservative Director at WWF Thailand. His remarks reflected how food systems can become something that contributes to a healthier planet if the right actions are taken.
The participants also got the chance to listen to sessions from different speakers representing different organisations who are aiming for a more sustainable food future. This includes speakers from the FAO, DCCE, CGAIR (WorldFish), BIOTEC, NDC Partnership, and MOAC. Each speaker through their experiences gave a unique perspective on the current state of Thailand’s NDC and the need to more sustainable food systems, both on land and in the water.
The collaborative sessions came after the speaker sessions on both days. The participants were separated into 5 groups, each covering one intervention area that covers several facets of the food system—food environment, food governance, food production, food supply chain, and food consumption. To improve Thailand’s food system and meet its NDCs GHG targets, each group explored the recommended policy measures included in the Tool and contributed to a comprehensive action plan by identifying policy alternatives, obstacles, and solutions.
On the first day the sessions participants got explore the different intervention areas and policy measures in the tool. The second day, which was a half day workshop, focused on the development of action plans.
The outcomes of the workshop include
With the background now laid out, the future actions that will lead to food systems being included in NDC 3.0 are now a greater possibility.
