Indigenous Peoples, women, youth and people with disabilities bring knowledge and lived experience and have a role to play in driving meaningful changes for the environment and building resilience.

Inclusive programming is fundamental to FAO’s implementation of the GEF Small Grants Program (GEF SGP), ensuring that environmental actions benefit and empower all members of society. The Program supports approaches that promote equitable access to resources, knowledge, and decision-making and uphold human rights and social justice. Inclusion by design allows local innovation and community ownership to respond to the needs and priorities of communities that the GEF SGP serves.

How FAO ensures inclusion in GEF SGP Programming?

• FAO works to achieve gender equality in sustainable agricultural production and rural development. FAO will tap into its pioneering approaches, such as Farmer Field Schools and Dimitra Clubs, to empower rural women and men through collective action, self-help, and community engagement
• FAO directly supports the empowerment, training, employment, and entrepreneurship efforts of the youth as future managers of our agrifood systems and natural resources to ensure inclusive and resilient economic development
• Through the Indigenous Peoples Biocentric Restoration Initiative, FAO promotes an innovative model of biodiversity conservation and restoration led by Indigenous Peoples and based on knowledge systems with sound applications for GEF SGP 2.0

Pillars of Success