FAO and ECDPM to stimulate sustainable investments in Africa’s agri-food systems
FAO has signed an Operational Partnership Agreement (OPA) with the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM), a global think tank for policy analyses on inclusive and sustainable development.
The two organizations will work together to implement the project AGRINVEST- Food systems, to foster investments aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa’s agri-food systems. Investments will contribute to sustainable economic growth and rural employment, particularly for women and the youth.
Funded by the Government of Italy, the project will be implemented throughout 2020 and 2021 in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya and Niger.
Under the agreement, FAO recognizes the role of ECDPM as a relevant global actor conducting political economy analyses and policy-related studies on rural development, more specifically on how to support efficient, better governed and more inclusive and sustainable agri-food value chains in Africa.
For this reason, ECDPM’s support will be crucial for FAO’s AGRINVEST- Food systems project to establish concrete mechanisms able to engage the private sector and other partners in developing public and private partnerships.
OPA signatories Jamie Morrison, FAO - Food Systems Programme Leader, and Carl Michiels, ECDPM - Director committed to join efforts to support the countries in identifying investments opportunities in the agri-food systems that could comply with the three dimensions of sustainability: social solidarity, environmental responsibility and economic efficiency.
The project is going to offer a strong potential for growth for agricultural SMEs, with significant effects on food security, income increase and generation of decent employment.
The AGRINVEST- Food systems project falls under the broader AGRINVEST initiative, launched by FAO to attract private investments aligned with the SDGs into agri-food systems, by leveraging public funds. This initiative intends to contribute to national development strategies, and to the upcoming Food Systems Summit, to be convened by the United Nations Secretary-General in 2021.
AGRINVEST’s overarching goal is to help stakeholders better understand and manage the complex choices that affect the sustainability of agri-food systems and to accelerate progress toward the SDGs achievement.