Resilience in agrifood systems is an urgent challenge, yet effective investment pathways remain elusive.

Extreme heat, climate volatility, and mounting pressures on water, energy, and infrastructure are already threatening livelihoods at scale, while fragmented investment approaches continue to limit impact. The question is no longer whether transformation is needed, but how it can be delivered — coherently, at scale, and across sectors.

We are pleased to invite you to a hybrid side event held in connection with the 2026 ECOSOC Partnership Forum, which builds on the applied work and shared experience of institutions actively grappling with this question in practice.

EVENT DETAILS

📅 Date: Monday, 26 January 2026
🕘 Time: 9:30–11:00 AM (EST) | 15:30–17:00 (CET)
📍 Format and registration: Online. Register here to receive the Zoom webinar link and event updates.

EVENT OVERVIEW

Building resilience in agriculture is non-negotiable. In 2024, the hottest year on record, extreme heat threatened 1.2 billion livelihoods, while outdated systems imposed an estimated $12 trillion in hidden costs to society annually. Transformation at scale requires cross-sectoral action encompassing secure water resources, affordable energy, and rural infrastructure, grounded in a participatory approach. Such transformation could deliver a tenfold socio-economic and environmental return, unlocking up to $4.5 trillion in business opportunities per year. However, current investment models remain highly fragmented and insufficiently aligned with sectoral mandates and capabilities.

Through a multi-sectoral lens, the event will explore how strategic agrifood investments can accelerate progress on Sustainable Development Goals 6, 7, 9, 11, and 17. It will also showcase how multi-partner platforms can sequence and align financing to better leverage increasingly scarce resources.

The discussion will demystify the roles of public, private, and multilateral actors in financing agrifood systems through a coordinated and field-tested process.

A follow-up partnership guide will be developed, synthesizing recommendations for integrated SDG action.

The concept note and provisional agenda can be found HERE.

CO-ORGANIZERS

• Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment (CCSI)
• Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
• Global Donor Platform for Rural Development (GDPRD)
• International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
• World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

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Participants wishing to attend the side event are kindly requested to register in advance. Register here for online participation (Zoom)