Results

17 October 2024, Rome – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Agri-Food Network (IAFN) have launched the third round of their joint initiative, the Accelerator Mentorship Programme for Women-led Small-to-Medium Enterprises in Africa. This innovative programme will foster 50 women entrepreneurs across Africa’s agrifood sector over the next nine months, providing them with the mentorship, skills, and resources they need to grow their businesses and contribute to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems in Africa. Building on the success of the previosus two rounds, the programme aims to address the social, economic and...

On October 23, 2024, FAO's Private Sector Partnership and UN Collaboration Division (PSU) and FAO's Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division (ESP), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the International Agri-Food Network (IAFN) will host a side event at the 52nd Plenary Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS 52), titled "Translating the CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment into Action." This event will explore the pivotal role of multi-stakeholder partnerships in advancing gender equality within agrifood systems, with a focus on empowering women and girls through enhanced access to markets,...

The FAO Partnerships and UN Collaboration Division (PSU) is pleased to announce an upcoming side event during World Food Forum week titled "Launch of the Accelerator Mentorship Programme for Women-led SMEs in Africa." This event will mark the launch of the third round of the jointly led FAO-IAFN initiative: Accelerator Mentorship Programme for Women-led SMEs in Africa. The initiative aims to support 50 female entrepreneurs (mentees) across Africa by providing mentorship from a panel of experienced women entrepreneurs in the agrifood sector from around the world. It will contribute to building more productive, sustainable, and innovative agrifood systems, addressing social, economic, environmental, and gender...

The FAO Partnerships and UN Collaboration Division (PSU) is pleased to announce an upcoming side-event during World Food Forum week titled "Empowering the Future: Private Sector Partnerships for Youth Advancement." This event will underscore the critical role of the private sector in supporting youth-focused initiatives within the agriculture and agrifood systems. Scheduled for October 18th, from 8:30 to 9:30 AM, the event will be held at FAO Headquarters in Rome. Its primary objective is to raise awareness regarding the pressing challenges faced by youth in agriculture and agrifood systems. Furthermore, it aims to highlight how private sector engagement can effectively contribute...

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are highly dependent on importing and exporting commodities. Imports into SIDS are often used to complement narrow local resource bases with fuel, food, and bottled water; while exports tend to be concentrated in a limited number of agrifood commodities such as cane sugar, bananas, tropical beverages and forest- and fisheries-based products.  At the same time, SIDS are particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels, flooding, droughts and other effects of climate change that threaten the very agrifood value chains upon which these countries so heavily rely. SIDS thus need to channel their Nationally Determined Contributions and other...