GEF - Global Environment Facility
With 35 percent of the earth’s land used for crops and pastures, another 30 percent covered by forests and a full 70 percent of abstracted fresh water used by agriculture, there is no question that agriculture needs to be at the centre of any discussion on natural resources management and global environmental objectives. Meanwhile, with the global population set to exceed 9 billion by 2050, the challenge is to sustainably intensify food production by 60 percent over the same time period, while maintaining the natural resource base for future generations.
FAO is an implementing agency of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), an international co-financing mechanism that provides grants to countries to invest in global environmental projects addressing the critical nexus between agriculture and the environment. This includes climate change, biodiversity, land degradation, international waters and chemicals. The Investment Centre is home to the GEF Coordination Unit, which manages the FAO-GEF portfolio. The portfolio has rapidly grown since 2002, with now over 120 projects in over 55 countries and a total GEF grant investment value approaching USD 466 million.