There are increasing calls for the fostering of climate-resilient food, land and water systems that are sustainable, equitable and inclusive. Climate adaptation endeavors, however, often do not position local people’s needs, capacities and preferences at the core of climate action; efforts often bypass the poorest and most vulnerable and in some cases exacerbate extant inequities. There is a need for a more radical locally led climate adaptation (LLCA) approach that goes beyond buzzwords and rhetoric to ensure that climate action is genuinely led by those communities who are affected and who are best placed to understand their own priorities and what is relevant within a given context.