FAO and IFAD Launch Landmark Food Systems Program to Drive Global Agrifood Transformation

Own Correspondent

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have unveiled a groundbreaking initiative aimed at revolutionizing global agri-food systems.

The Food Systems Integrated Program (FSIP), backed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), was launched on Agri-food System Day during the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP16).

With funding totaling US$282 million from the GEF and an additional US$1.8 billion in co-financing, the program will target sustainable solutions to global challenges such as biodiversity loss, land degradation, and climate change, while addressing food security and improving livelihoods in 32 countries, including Zimbabwe’s regional peers South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda.

FAO Director-General QU Dongyu highlighted the critical need for transformative action. “Agri-food systems hold the solutions to major interlinked challenges to people and the planet.

The Global Biodiversity Framework, the Paris Agreement, and the SDGs are unattainable without agri-food systems transformation. This program channels investments towards scalable results and ensures no one is left behind,” he said.

The FSIP will focus on four key sectors—crops (maize, rice, and wheat), commodities (cocoa, palm oil, and soy), livestock, and aquaculture.

The initiative also aims to reduce methane emissions from livestock and rice production, combat deforestation associated with livestock and palm oil, and promote sustainable aquaculture practices.

IFAD President Alvaro Lario underscored the program’s role in empowering smallholder farmers, who are vital to global food production. “This transformative initiative ensures that small-scale farmers can continue to produce one-third of the world’s food, even amidst climate uncertainties,” he said.

The FSIP comes as food and agriculture systems increasingly take centre stage at global environmental forums, with recent initiatives such as the Agri-NBSAPs for biodiversity and the Harmoniya Initiative for climate action demonstrating the sector’s critical role in achieving global sustainability targets.

Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, CEO and Chairperson of the GEF, stressed the interconnected nature of the challenges facing food systems and the environment. “Integrated solutions are essential.

This program supports the production of agricultural commodities without deforestation, rejuvenates soils and degraded landscapes, and reduces negative externalities, ensuring sustainability from farm to fork,” Rodríguez stated.

The program builds on nearly a decade of GEF investments in food systems transformation, including initiatives such as the Good Growth Partnership and the Food Systems, Land Use, and Restoration Impact Program. Approved following the UN Food Systems Summit, FSIP aligns with international commitments like the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Agreement.

Over the next 12 months, the program will launch 32 country projects, supported by global coordination hubs focused on policy, governance, private sector investment, and landscape management.

This integrated approach is expected to amplify the impact of individual country efforts, setting a strong foundation for sustainable agri-food systems globally.

As Zimbabwe and the world face the dual challenges of food security and environmental sustainability, the FSIP offers a beacon of hope for a resilient and inclusive future.