Investing in food systems: the why and the how for climate, biodiversity, and the right to food

At the 53rd session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), held at FAO headquarters in Rome from 20 to 24 October 2025, a side event on investments in food systems co-organized by FAO, the World Bank, and the Government of Quebec brought together governments, development partners, and farmers’ representatives to tackle a key question: how can we ensure that investments in food systems drive progress on climate, biodiversity, and the right to food? 

With over 60 participants and country delegations attending, the discussion converged around two clear messages: investing in food systems is essential to achieving climate, environmental, and health goals, and farmers must move from the margins to the centre of investment and cooperation efforts. 

Opening the event, Kaveh Zahedi, Director of FAO’s Office of Climate, Biodiversity and Environment, called for a realignment of global investment priorities. “Every dollar spent on climate and biodiversity action should also help deliver healthy diets, sustainable livelihoods, and a thriving planet,” he said, noting that climate change is now one of the main drivers of hunger. Investments in sustainable farming, healthier diets, and food loss reduction, he added, can yield multiple benefits for both people and the planet. 

However, there is still a long way to go before the connection between food systems, climate, and health is fully recognized, and the costs of inaction widely evident. One of the tools to help shift perspectives, noted Lynette Neufeld, Director of FAO’s Nutrition Division, is true cost accounting which reveals the hidden costs of unhealthy diets and the long-term benefits of nutritious, sustainable food systems. According to FAO’s 2024 State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) report, health-related hidden costs account for over 70% of the total globally. Along these lines, a study presented by Julia Gubat of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute in the Philippines, estimated that unhealthy diets cost the country up to 6 percent of GDP.  

Natasha Hayward, Global Lead for Food and Nutrition Security at the World Bank, emphasized the importance of identifying “win–win–win” investments that benefit climate, environment, and human health alike grounded in solid evidence. She called for stronger incentives and coordination across sectors, noting that institutional silos too often limit integrated investment approaches. 

Turning the focus to local realities, Amalia Daniela Renosto, Special Mandates Officer at the Government of Quebec Delegation in Rome, underlined that development cooperation must be “by, for, and with farmers.” Currently, less than 1% of climate finance reaches farmers. The SAGA2 Project, funded by the Government of Quebec and implemented in Senegal, Haiti and Côte d’Ivoire with FAO support, demonstrates the impact of inclusive models: one of the initiatives is supporting women community savings groups to gain access to climate funds to restore land, diversify crops, and develop organic gardens, improving yields, nutrition, and resilience. Embodying the spirit and principles of Quebec's  international cooperation model, SAGA2 builds on the vision of transforming food systems acting from the local level to the national and working with multiple partners.  

From the World Farmers’ Organisation, Andra Porro urged that climate and biodiversity investments reflect local realities and farmers’ experience. He highlighted three priorities: aligning finance frameworks with the right to food; involving farmers’ organizations from the outset in project design; and ensuring inclusivity by improving women’s and young farmers’ access to finance, land, and innovation. 

Closing the session, H.E. Ngor Ndiaye, Ambassador of Senegal to Italy, reflected on farmers’ knowledge and resilience, urging partners to build on what already works rather than reinventing solutions from the outside. “We must support and empower farmers, not replace them,” he said. “Real transformation starts from farmers’ knowledge, experience, and their land.”