At the annual consultation of the Multipartner Programme Support Mechanism, FAO presented the 2016 achievements of the fund, which delivered significant results towards zero hunger, food and agriculture sustainability, and rural poverty reduction. 

As an innovative mechanism for supporting FAO’s work through unearmarked or soft-earmarked contributions, this multipartner fund was generously supported by Belgium, the Flanders Cooperation, The Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland with some USD 75 million since 2010. 

“This fund is a unique instrument that enables FAO to move strategically towards the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals”, said Daniel Gustafson, FAO Deputy Director-General for Programmes. 

Partners discussed the 2016 results of 17 programmes, with activities in 42 countries, which supported the development of innovative solutions for farmers and food producers, and assisted them in tackling emerging priorities. The programmes also stimulated innovation with the development of a new instrument to measure food insecurity, and new research on climate-smart agriculture. Moreover, the fund leveraged significant additional funding and new partnerships through its projects, and fostered a cross-sector vision of development – essential for progress in achieving the SDGs.

Backed by these strong results, FAO and its partners are now exploring ways to further strengthen the mechanism, and initiated discussions on the next generation of this multipartner and unearmarked fund.