● Governments, multilateral organizations, and peasant and Indigenous organizations from all five continents will come together to discuss a roadmap for equity in access to land, peasant rights, and rural justice.
● Colombia is hosting the event in recognition of the significant progress made in land redistribution and the recognition of peasant rights under the government of President Gustavo Petro.
● Learn about the key agenda items of ICARRD+20, to be discussed from February 24 to 28, 2026.

Bogotá, February 11, 2026 (@Minagricultura). The International Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development, to be held in Cartagena de Indias from February 24 to 28, will reshape the global agenda through which the world seeks to address food insecurity, conflict and violence in rural areas, as well as threats arising from the climate crisis, among other critical global challenges. This is not just another meeting, but a gathering of governments, international organizations, and peasant and Indigenous organizations from five continents to jointly plan the agricultural future of the planet at a time of major political, economic, climate, and humanitarian challenges.

The Conference’s final declaration is expected to relaunch the international agreements signed twenty years ago—at the first ICARRD in Brazil in 2006— regarding the democratization of access to land and the rights of peasants and communities that produce the food consumed around the world.

Leaders of rural policy will assess the commitments made in Brazil concerning Agrarian Reform and Rural Development. The Conference will provide an opportunity to renew those commitments and define new lines of action through concrete agreements aimed at improving living conditions for rural communities and contributing to the consolidation of peace.

It is no coincidence that the international community is gathering this time in a Colombian city. This reflects recognition of Colombia’s leadership on agrarian issues, based on the notable advances in land redistribution and rural poverty reduction achieved through the impetus given to Agrarian Reform by President

Gustavo Petro’s administration. The proposal to hold the Conference in Colombia originated directly from international peasant organizations (La Vía Campesina), was accepted by Minister Martha Carvajalino, who holds a seat on the FAO Council, and was approved by the World Food Council based in Rome in October 2024. In addition to participating in the deliberations, attendees will have the opportunity to learn first-hand about successful cases from the “Revolución por la Vida” Agrarian Reform and visit concrete examples of innovative agri-food systems in Colombia’s Caribbean region.

Why the world urgently needs a rural roadmap
Among the main issues on the ICARRD+20 agenda is the link between equitable land distribution and guarantees of rights for those who produce food and steward ecosystems. Small-scale farmers produce approximately one-third of the world’s food, despite controlling only a fraction of arable land. This contribution contrasts sharply with their socioeconomic conditions. There are at least 570 million agricultural holdings worldwide, the vast majority of which are family farms. More than 475 million of these farms (84%) are smaller than two hectares. This means that the overwhelming majority of those who work on the land do so on very small plots, which often do not even belong to them.

Today, between 713 and 757 million people suffer from chronic hunger. Progress toward ending hunger has stalled or reversed due to factors such as conflict, economic crises, and climate change.
Issues to be discussed in Cartagena
The ICARRD+20 agenda includes highly urgent and far-reaching topics:

February 24
The Conference will begin with the Opening Ceremony at 10:00 a.m. in the Getsemaní Auditorium of the Cartagena de Indias Convention Center. In the afternoon, the Intersectoral Commission of the National Agrarian Reform System and the National Cooperation System will meet to present progress on agrarian reform.

February 25
Statements from two major pre-events will be presented to inform ICARRD+20 discussions: the International Academic Forum and the Social Movements and Indigenous Peoples Forum, both to be held in Cartagena from February 20 to 23 as lead-up events to the Conference. That same day, FAO will launch its report on the state of land governance and tenure worldwide.

Other key events that day:
• 20 Years Later: Assessment of Land, Water, and Territorial Distribution Worldwide
• Agrarian Reform Dialogue between Ministers of Official Delegations and the Government of Colombia
• Launch of the Global Land Observatory

February 26
The Alliance of Champions for Food Systems Transformation—an international consortium of nations that Colombia formally joined last year, committed to building fair and resilient agri-food systems—will meet. On the same day, FAO will launch the Global Land Observatory.
High-level events:
• Water, Food, and Well-being: Land for Life
• Agrarian, Environmental, and Climate Justice
• Colombia–China Dialogue: Conversation on Land, Connectivity, and Rural Development

February 27
Key issues to be examined include Drug Trafficking and Drug Policy: An Urgent Dialogue on Land, Sovereignty, and Pathways to Peace in the Americas. The interaction between the State and Social Movements will also be discussed as a means of rebuilding trust and addressing global crises.
Other key events:
• Who Controls Land, Oil, and Minerals? History and Future of Resource Geopolitics
• Defenders of Land and Nature
• The Sierra Nevada: A Journey to the Heart of the World

February 28
On the final day, the Colombian government will present the Ten-Year Agrarian Reform Plan, aimed at guaranteeing the structural transformation of land ownership in the country. The Conference Closing Ceremony will also take place.