The 19th Multidisciplinary Team Meeting (MDT-19) of FAO Eastern Africa

The Eastern Africa subregion holds vast potential for agrifood system transformation despite overlapping challenges, such as conflict, displacement, widening food insecurity and malnutrition, and high input costs.

FAO, through its Subregional Office for Eastern Africa (SFE) and country offices, plays a strategic role in addressing these vulnerabilities while unlocking opportunities and innovative ideas for agricultural transformation.

Fostering cooperation with regional and continental economic blocks, FAO is poised to boost inclusive growth through food system transformation, which in turn requires stronger partnerships, aligned investment, and coherent action to scale climate-resilient agricultural systems.

As part of this effort, the 19th Multidisciplinary Team Meeting (MDT-19), is scheduled for 10–13 November 2025 to deliberate on these critical issues, under the theme: “Strengthening Partnerships and Investment for Accelerated Agrifood System Transformation and Climate-Resilience in the Eastern Africa Subregion.”

The upcoming MDT-19 is therefore intended to provide a vital platform for FAO SFE and its partners to:

• review the progress made to date in implementing the recommendations of the previous session (MDT-18).
• draw lessons from what has worked and what requires adjustment.
• create a venue for the strategic partners (AUC, IGAD, EAC, the Parliamentarian Alliances and the member states) to dissect the existing challenges and opportunities, and provide their perspectives on core priority areas that FAO should focus on while rolling out its programmatic and policy support over the coming years. Distilled recommendations will be shared to the upcoming Africa Regional Conference (ARC-34) as the subregion’s input.
• align FAO SFE’s support with the evolving regional policy landscape, taking into account the outcomes of recent landmark events, such as the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2), the UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS +4), and the Kampala Declaration on CAADP domestication at country level.
• review the progress, lessons learned, and best practices emerging from the Hand-in-Hand Initiative (HiH) in the subregion and reflect on key outcomes and consolidate experiences from the Investment Forum, held in Rome ahead of the MDT-19, and collectively chart the way forward.
• review the status of the Country Programming Frameworks (CPFs) across the subregion to ensure that the new CPF cycle is aligned with the UNSDCF, while capturing lessons learned to deliver the ideals of FAO’s Four Betters at the country level.
• foster experience sharing and highlight best practices from FAO Country Offices on how SFE can strategically enhance the use and added value of TCP resources, thereby strengthening the Organization’s visibility, agility, and its capacity to contribute meaningfully to the SDGs and national development goals.
• discuss key administrative matters that directly impact on the effective delivery of FAO’s programme implementation.
• provide space to discuss subregional communication, advocacy and outreach practices and human resource related issues.

The MDT-19 will convene high-level experts and key development partners, including high-level delegates from FAO Headquarters, FAO Africa; FAO Representatives, Deputy Representatives, and Assistant Representatives (Programme and Administration) from the eight SFE country offices; Office Associates to the FAO Representatives; and the SFE Technical, Administrative, and Communication Teams. It will also bring together representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture of Ethiopia and from other line Ministries, the African Union, East African Community (EAC), the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), East African Parliamentary Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition (EAPA-FSN) and partner institutions.