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Governance for agrifood systems transformation

In the face of growing global challenges such as food insecurity, climate crisis, resource depletion, and population growth, effective governance mechanisms are essential to guide the desired transition towards more effective, sustainable and inclusive agrifood systems. Coordinated efforts at local, national, regional and global levels are necessary to develop and implement policies that promote environmentally friendly farming techniques, responsible resource management and use, and a more equitable distribution of benefits.

Governance provides a vital structure for fostering dialogue, knowledge exchange, innovation, and technology adoption and facilitating inclusion and participation of all stakeholders in agrifood systems. By creating an enabling environment through governance, we can encourage collaboration between various stakeholders, including farmers, researchers, businesses, and policymakers, to collectively address the multifaceted challenges facing the agrifood sector.

Why is governance critical for FAO’s work? 

FAO sees governance as a gear. It powers the Organization’s work while connecting the dots through multistakeholder dialogue processes. Governance underlies FAO’s policy support to countries and programmatic interventions across all levels. It is part of the Organization’s utmost vision for agrifood systems: transformative processes require much stronger, more transparent and accountable institutions and governance, including adaptive and regulatory governance (source: FAO's Strategic Framework 2022-2031).

The transformation of agrifood systems can only be achieved through the collective action of a broad range of public and private actors, each of whom brings distinctive interests, needs, resources, influence and capacities. In this sense, governance and institutions are critical drivers for achieving the desired transformation, translating the pathway set by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
 

Key messages

They constrain policy choices, and, when ignored or misunderstood, are a persistent source of policy and investment failure. The dynamics of institutional change in specific contexts are complex and uncertain, but analysis is essential for assessing the possibilities and formulating feasible strategies to achieve transformational change.

Understanding relevant governance and political economy concerns – such as the diversity of interests among stakeholders, power imbalances in decision-making processes, and institutional issues that constrain capacities for action – is essential for policy and investment implementation.

Alternative policy choices, resource allocations and other decisions related to food and agriculture often involve trade-offs between economic growth, social equity and sustainable use of natural resources. Innovative governance mechanisms can help reposition different sectors and actors as partners – rather than competitors – in coordinated action towards food systems transformation.

Establishing the societal frameworks needed to transform agrifood systems remains an essential responsibility of states, but the way this responsibility is carried out needs to be adapted to changing circumstances. Broad social participation is needed to sustain the efforts. Cross-sectoral coordination and networks of communication within government as well as across the public-private divide are indispensable means for facilitating the effectiveness of policies and food systems outcomes.

 
Governance in action

At the global level, FAO hosts intergovernmental and multistakeholder policy dialogue on food and agriculture, generating treaties, declarations, norms, standards, and voluntary guidelines. See examples:

 

At the regional level, FAO facilitates regional and subregional collaboration to harmonize common objectives, instruments, and programmes, adapting and operationalizing global norms and guidance. See examples:

 

At the national level, FAO supports Member countries to identify, analyse, and develop solutions to key governance challenges for sustainable agrifood systems. See examples:

 

At the community level, FAO undertakes governance analyses within specific contexts. It engages key stakeholders, promotes capacity development, and assists in creating permanent dialogue forums. See examples:

 

Featured initiatives

Water governance in the Near East and North Africa

Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia

The project undertaken in the Near East and North Africa aimed at supporting the transformational change in managing strategic resources such as water, land and energy as well as defining the safe boundaries for effective water sustainability, combining water accounting and water governance analyses.

Governance innovation for agrifood systems transformation

Indonesia, Tanzania and Uganda

The initiative funded by FAO’s Flexible Voluntary Contribution (FVC) supported governments in developing and strengthening innovative governance mechanisms for better coordinated interventions, policy integration and participation to advance food systems transformation and healthy diets for all.

Inclusivity for improved local tenure governance

Sierra Leone and Mauritania

The project aims at promoting more inclusive and gender-responsive local land governance and accountability mechanisms, through the strengthening of local institutions, participatory multi-stakeholder processes and data generation. It also promotes a bottom-up approach towards international principles on the governance of land tenure at the national and local levels.

Stronger governance for better marine ecosystems

CHILE

The project aims to develop and implement a governance system that mainstreams, coordinates and articulates public, private and civil society institutions for the conservation and sustainable use of coastal marine ecosystems. It aims to enhance management and governance practices and strengthen institutions and human capital in target areas.

Latest tools and publications on governance

Resilience in protracted crises

Oct 4, 2023, 11:01 AM
Protracted crises exist in over 20 countries potentially affecting half a billion people. In these situations, undernourishment is severe, long-standing and almost three times more frequent than in other developing...
Title : Resilience in protracted crises
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*Publication Date : Jan 10, 2016, 00:00 AM

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