Development Partners and International Financial Institutions
Strategic partnerships with humanitarian and development partners will be critical to the successful implementation of the Strategy and scaling FAO's impact in Myanmar. FAO will strengthen collaboration through the development of investment-ready programmes that align humanitarian, recovery, and long-term development objectives. Leveraging its technical expertise, global knowledge, and evidence-based analysis, FAO will design and implement high-impact investments in agrifood systems, climate resilience, natural resource management, and rural development. FAO will also work with international financial institutions, including the World Bank Group and the Asian Development Bank aligning strategic priorities, helping de-risk investments and maximizing development impact. At the regional level, FAO will continue to engage with ASEAN and other regional platforms to promote policy dialogue, knowledge exchange, harmonized approaches, and cooperation on transboundary issues, including animal and plant health, food safety, climate change adaptation, and disaster risk reduction.
Civil Society and Community based Organization
Experience has demonstrated that locally led responses are most effective, sustainable, and contextually appropriate in conflict-affected settings. FAO will, therefore, work with civil society organizations, community-based organizations, producer groups, cooperatives, women’s organizations and youth groups to promote locally led action and enhance the reach, relevance, and sustainability of its interventions. Through capacity development, technical support and institutional strengthening, FAO will enable local partners to play a central role in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programmes. Such partnerships will improve access to vulnerable communities, strengthen accountability to affected populations, foster local ownership and resilience, and contribute to social cohesion and sustainable agrifood systems transformation.
FAO will also strengthen collaboration with international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), recognizing their comparative advantages in humanitarian and resilience programming, operational presence, technical expertise, and surge capacity. Collaboration with INGOs will enhance FAO’s ability to expand the reach in hard-to-access areas, improve the quality and timeliness of programme delivery, support joint assessments and knowledge sharing. Where appropriate, FAO will facilitate partnerships between INGOs and local organizations to promote localization, strengthen national and community capacities, and enhance the sustainability and long term imapct of interventions.
Private Sector and Microfinance Institutions
Recognizing the private sector as a key driver of innovation, investment, market development, and job creation, FAO will promote responsible and inclusive private sector engagement in line with the FAO Strategy for Private Sector Engagement (2021-2025). Partnerships will focus on strengthening agrifood value chains, expanding farmers' access to quality inputs, technologies, financial services, markets, and climate-smart solutions, while enhancing the capacities of producer organizations, cooperatives, and agrifood micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). FAO will facilitate dialogue and support the co-creation of innovative solutions that address systemic constraints across agrifood systems. Through these partnerships, FAO aims to stimulate responsible investment, improve market access, create decent employment opportunities, and accelerate the transformation of more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems.
Expanding access to affordable financial services is essential for increasing agricultural productivity, strengthening resilience, and promoting inclusive rural economic development. Strategic partnerships with microfinance institutions (MFIs) and other financial service providers will improve access to finance for smallholder farmers, producer organizations, cooperatives, women's savings and credit groups, and agrifood micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). These partnerships will support the development of tailored financial products, strengthen financial literacy and business management skills, and foster stronger linkages between financial institutions and agrifood value chain actors to address seasonal financing gaps and unlock greater investment in productive assets, quality inputs, innovative technologies, and climate-resilient practices. All partnerships will be guided by FAO's due diligence procedures and environmental and social safeguards to ensure responsible, transparent, and risk-informed engagement.
UN System Collaboration
Collaboration across the United Nations system will be central to coherent and integrated support in Myanmar's complex operating environment. Building on the complementary mandates and comparative advantages of UN entities, FAO will contribute to joint analysis, coordinated planning, and integrated programming that advances the humanitarian-development-peace nexus. Working closely with the Resident Coordinator's Office and other UN partners, FAO will support the implementation of the UNTCF, promote collective outcomes, strengthen policy coherence, and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of UN system-wide responses. Through coordinated action, the UN system will be better positioned to address immediate humanitarian needs while strengthening resilience, supporting recovery, and advancing sustainable development.
As co-lead of the Food Security Cluster, FAO will continue to collaborate with WFP on food security analysis, vulnerability and needs assessments, market monitoring, and evidence generation, including through the Data in Emergencies (DIEM) system. Joint interventions will combine food assistance with lifesaving agricultural support to help vulnerable households restore agricultural production, recover livelihoods, diversify incomes, strengthen resilience, and progressively reduce dependence on humanitarian assistance.
Collaboration with WHO will advance the One Health approach by strengthening animal health systems, surveillance, prevention, and response to zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, food safety risks, and other threats at the human-animal-environment interface. These efforts will support coordinated preparedness and response to public health emergencies while contributing to healthier people, animals, and agrifood systems.
Partnerships with UNICEF will focus on improving food security and nutrition outcomes, particularly for women, children, and adolescents, through nutrition-sensitive agriculture, school and community gardens, nutrition education, and social and behavior change interventions. Joint initiatives will also support school feeding programmes by promoting the use of fresh, locally produced foods, improving access to diverse and nutritious diets, strengthening local food systems, and fostering healthy eating habits.
FAO will deepen collaboration with UNDP to advance rural development by combining FAO’s technical expertise in agrifood systems, climate-smart agriculture, natural resource management, livestock, fisheries, forestry, and resilient rural livelihoods with UNDP’s strengths in local governance, poverty reduction, institutional capacity development, climate governance, and peacebuilding. Joint programmes will focus on restoring agricultural production and livelihoods, strengthening producer organizations and local institutions, promoting sustainable management of natural resources, enhancing resilience to climate and disaster risks, fostering social cohesion, and expanding inclusive economic opportunities in conflict-affected and climate-vulnerable areas.
In support of durable solutions for internally displaced persons, returnees, and vulnerable host communities, FAO will collaborate with IOM and UNHCR to restore agricultural livelihoods, improve access to productive assets, and promote sustainable livelihood pathways that enable safe, voluntary, and dignified reintegration. Recognizing the interlinkages between conflict, poverty, and illicit economies, FAO will work with UNODC to support sustainable alternative livelihoods for communities affected by or dependent on illicit crop cultivation and related activities.
FAO will also strengthen collaboration with UN Women and UNFPA to promote gender equality and women’s economic empowerment by integrating gender-responsive approaches, including measures to address gender-based constraints and risks, across agrifood systems, rural development and humanitarian programming. These partnerships will ensure more inclusive, equitable, and resilient outcomes for vulnerable populations.