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Reflections from UNEA-7

At the seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA–7) this year, some of the most meaningful moments came from working on issues we are deeply passionate about.

The soils agenda came up very clearly. There is a lot of work happening around land degradation. If we invest in healthy soils from the start, we reduce the need for costly restoration later. That preventative approach is beginning to find real currency and traction.

We also had strong conversations on rangelands, with the leadership of Mongolia’s presidency evident throughout the week. They were present everywhere, talking about their commitment to the land–water nexus and to working on rangelands with concrete outcomes. I think we are going to see real breakthroughs in how we talk about pastoralism and how we protect our grasslands around the world.

Even when negotiations felt bogged down, there was still momentum in these areas.

What stood out most, though, was the idea of resilience and community. Resilience is becoming the organising framework around which the world is starting to reorder itself—and agriculture is right at the centre of that. Agriculture builds community. It always has. And that’s why this work sits exactly in the space we love to operate in.

As we look ahead to 2026—with major moments across climate, biodiversity, and land—these conversations matter. Nairobi feels like the kickoff to another big year of work, partnerships, and collective effort.

Watch below as I share reflections from UNEA-7 with my brilliant colleague, Waiganjo Njoroge, Vice President, Communications at Emerging Ag.

Reflections from UNEA-7

Robynne Anderson

Robynne has extensive experience in the agriculture and food sector, working throughout the value chain – from basic inputs to farmers in the field to the grocery store shelf. She works internationally in the sector, including speaking at the United Nations on agriculture and food issues, and representing the International Agri-Food Network at the UN.Throughout her career she has worked with farm organisations like the Prairie Oat Growers Association, the National Smallholder Farmers Association of Malawi and the Himalayan Farmers Association, as well as global groups, to further the voice of agriculture in the food debate. She has also worked with Fortune 500 companies growing worldwide businesses to assist them with issues management and strategy decisions.

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