Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

1. Responding to the multiple crises, has the governing body of your organization taken any decisions or adopted any new strategies to enhance effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions and to reinforce the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and poverty eradication? 

The FAO Programme of Work and Budget 2024-25, endorsed by FAO Conference in July 2023, provided an update on recent trends and risks to global food security in the context of the global challenges and opportunities identified in the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31. Based on these recent trends and risks and taking into account guidance received from the Governing Bodies, the Organization adjusted its work under the four betters and the 20 Programme Priority Areas to further strengthen FAO’s programmatic response in 2024-25 and leverage its comparative advantage in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The FAO Conference in its Forty-third Session (Rome, 1-7 July 2023)
noted that severe water scarcity, droughts, flood risks and water quality deterioration strongly affect food security, nutrition, livelihoods and the lives of billions of people;
recognized the impacts of water challenges already felt in countries, including in terms of decreased agricultural output, environmental performance of productive land and water systems and equity in access to water;
recognized that agriculture is central to address water challenges, not only because it is seriously affected by water constraints, but also because it is the world’s largest sectoral water user, and as such it constitutes a crucial part of the solution;
acknowledged that transforming agrifood systems to achieve the SDGs will require both sustainable and efficient water use in irrigated and rainfed agriculture and integrated water resources management; emphasized that water resources management needs to be integrated at all levels, inclusive of all stakeholders, and coherent across relevant sectors, including agriculture, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture, land and soil, energy, environment, biodiversity, climate change and One Health;
stressed that integrated and inclusive water resources management should be supported by improved water governance to ensure efficient, sustainable and equitable water allocation and usage; emphasized the need for international support for taking bold and innovative initiatives regarding surface and groundwater management in agrifood systems to support Members’ governance of water.

The Conference noted with concern the growing rate of global food insecurity and malnutrition, and the need to reverse this trend to make progress on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 2, and address the major drivers of current and longer-term global food insecurity; stressed the importance of sustainable supply chains for timely implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development including achievement SDG 1, 2 and 10; and noted the impact of trade restrictions and barriers for the global food security and nutrition, especially in the developing countries.

The Conference stressed the importance of bioeconomy for sustainable agri-food systems and highlighted the need to discuss this topic within governing bodies and technical committees of the FAO. https://www.fao.org/3/nm800en/nm800en.pdf

During its 172nd Session (Rome, 24-28 April 2023) the FAO Council reaffirmed the Organization’s unique position and role in transforming agrifood systems in a coherent manner, as appropriate, in accordance with, and dependent on national contexts and capacities to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals, leaving no one behind; agreed to consider a budget level that would ensure that FAO can conduct its core activities as a specialized agency to support the achievement of the SDGs, within its mandate, using its comparative advantages in the UN system.

In line with current practice, in the first quarter of 2024, FAO will submit one consolidated response from its intergovernmental bodies, including Technical Committees , with a brief chapeau and each and all contributions of the respective Intergovernmental Bodies and Technical Committees as annexes of all considerations that have taken and still are taking place in 2023.

FAO Governing Bodies and other intergovernmental bodies to be included in the upcoming submission are FAO Governing Bodies such as the Conference, the Council, and the Technical Committees which include the Committee on Agriculture (COAG), the Committee on Forestry (COFO), the Committee on Fisheries (COFI), and the Committee on Commodity Problems (CCP), as well as other intergovernmental bodies hosted in FAO, notably, the Codex Alimentarius, the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA).

The Committee on Commodity Problems (CCP) input for 2023: CCP is FAO Governing Body that tracks developments in agricultural commodity markets and policies. It deliberates on emerging issues, assesses the effects on world food security, and makes policy recommendations. Th CCP held its 74th Session in March 2022 and its 75th Session in July 2023, amid an increasing number of risks and uncertainties, caused by conflicts and rising geopolitical tensions, climate extremes, pests and diseases, and economic shocks that are threatening global food security and jeopardizing the achievement of the SDGs, in particular SDG 2 on zero hunger.

In this context, the Committee highlighted the important role of markets and trade in promoting sustainable development and stressed that markets and trade are an integral part of food systems and should be given due consideration when addressing the need for sustainability in agriculture from a food systems approach perspective.

The CCP underlined the significance of market transparency and emphasized the importance of timely and credible market information. In this context, it acknowledged the positive role of the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) in enhancing agricultural market transparency and policy responses for food security, reducing extreme price volatility, and promoting coordinated policy action.

The CCP also acknowledged the increased importance and relevance of the Global Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture (GIEWS), in view of the increasing risks and uncertainties to world food security recognizing it as an important source of factual information and a leading early warning mechanism globally. The CCP also appreciated the collaborative efforts of GIEWS, particularly the approach of early warning based on consensus.

The Committee also highlighted that trade, along with efficient and enhanced productivity and sustainable food systems, plays a vital role in improving global food security in all its dimensions and in enhancing nutrition, as well as addressing the challenges and uncertainties that agricultural commodity markets are facing. In this context it underlined the need for trade policies to foster well-functioning, transparent and open global markets, especially in times of uncertainty and crisis, and emphasized the importance of improving agricultural productivity and efficiency and reducing trade costs to make trade an avenue for growth.

The 2030 Agenda recognizes markets and trade as important enablers for the achievement of the SDGs. In this context, and in order for trade to play this role, the Committee highlighted the critical importance of keeping markets open and ensuring a smooth flow of trade. It reaffirmed the importance of not imposing export prohibitions or restrictions in a manner inconsistent with relevant WTO provisions.
 

2. In the past year, has your organization organized any intergovernmentally mandated conferences, forums or events that contributed to the achievement of the SDGs, or in the process of planning and organizing any such mandated events to be held next year?  

Event Name:	UN Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment
Event Dates:	24 – 26 July 2023
Event Location (City, Country):	Rome, Italy
Relevant SDGs:	All SDGs
Description (max 150 words): please include a short summary of the event’s mandate and contributions to the SDGs, including its main outcome(s)	Hosted by Italy, in collaboration with the Rome-based UN Agencies (FAO, IFAD, WFP), the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub and the wider UN system. The UNFSS +2 STM built on the momentum of the 2021 Food Systems Summit for countries to review progress on the commitments to action and identify successes, enduring bottlenecks and priorities in order to close the implementation gap by effectively and efficiently utilizing the Means of Implementation for food systems transformation. One of the outcomes was an urgent Call to Action from the UN Secretary General, for a focus on embedding food systems strategies in national policies; establishing food systems governance with a whole-of-society approach; investing in research, data, innovation and technology capacities; promoting business engagement and accountability for sustainability; including full participation of marginalized groups including women; farmers, youth and Indigenous Peoples; and ensuring long-term, concessional finance for food systems transformation.
Website (if applicable)	https://www.unfoodsystemshub.org/fs-stocktaking-moment/
Event Name:	Science and Innovation Forum 2023
Event Dates:	16-20 October 2023
Event Location (City, Country):	Rome, Italy (Hybrid)
Relevant SDGs:	SDG 1, 2, 6,7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17
Description (max 150 words): please include a short summary of the event’s mandate and contributions to the SDGs, including its main outcome(s)	The FAO Science and Innovation Forum (SIF) 2023 was focused on enhancing the accessibility of the most appropriate climate technologies, innovative practices and local knowledge in agrifood systems for climate change adaptation, resilience & mitigation. It allowed a more focused & strategic debate on how STI affect vulnerability, impact & capacities, and are essential to transform agrifood systems & boost climate action. It facilitated sharing experiences & lessons learned on implementing concrete solutions on the ground to step up climate action, supporting Members to accelerate efforts towards achieving the SDGs & the FAO Four Betters, leaving no one behind.    There were three plenary and 15 technical sessions, and six regional events with cross-cutting themes under SDG 1, 2, 6,7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17. One of the Forum’s outcomes is a consensus that climate resilience, adaptation & mitigation cannot be achieved without science & innovation.
Website (if applicable)	https://www.fao.org/science-technology-and-innovation/science-innovation-forum-2023/en

Event Name:	High-Level Ministerial Event: Transforming agrifood systems to increase resilience and achieve the 2030 Agenda: Harnessing the potential of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs).
Event Dates:	29 June 2023
Event Location (City, Country):	Rome, Italy
Relevant SDGs:	1,2,3,8,10,11,13,14,15 and 17
Description (max 150 words): please include a short summary of the event’s mandate and contributions to the SDGs, including its main outcome(s)	Ministers and high-level representatives from SIDS, LDCs and LLDCs gathered to discuss concrete solutions to accelerate agrifood systems transformation, including- among others- data and information for decision-making, innovation, effective policy recommendations, climate and energy smart agricultural practices, increased access to credit and agricultural insurance, as well as leveraging more public and private investment.   A Call for Action,  was issued requesting, among others, the outcome of the Event be shared at relevant upcoming fora, including the Fourth International Conference on SIDS and the Third United Nations Conference on LLDCs.  Moreover, it called for the establishment of a Ministerial network for SIDS, LDCs and LLDCs, with technical support from FAO, to share experiences and collectively build resilience to climate change and to food insecurity, as well as to secure investments to scale-up transformation of agrifood systems through means of implementation such as:  • The Hand-in-Hand Initiative;  • The One Country One Priority Product Initiative;  • The Green Cities Initiative;  • The Blue Transformation Roadmap; and  • Innovative climate financing, including the Green Climate     Fund and Global Environment Facility.
Website (if applicable)	https://www.fao.org/sids-solutions/events/detail/ministerial-event-transforming-agrifood-systems-in-sids-ldcs-lldcs/en

 

3. In the past year, has your organization published or planned to publish any analytical work or guidance note or toolkits to guide and support the implementation of SDGs at national, regional and global levels?  Please select up to three to highlight, especially those that address interlinkages among the SDGs.  

Resource Name	FAO “State of…” flagship publication series
Relevant SDGs (list all relevant goals)	SDGs 2, 14, 15
Publishing entity/entities	FAO
Target audience	Decision makers, policy makers, civil society, private sector, academia, general public.
Description (max 150 words)	The FAO “State of” flagship publications series presents the latest data and analysis related to the states of food and agriculture (SOFA), food security and nutrition (SOFI), world’s forests (SOFO), fisheries and aquaculture, SOFIA, and agricultural commodity markets (SOCO). The series covers all SDG 2, 14 and 15 indicators that FAO is custodian of and all SDG 2 food security and nutrition indicators. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) is published by FAO in collaboration with IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO.
Language(s)	All official UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish)
Website (if applicable)	https://www.fao.org/publications/home/fao-flagship-publications/en

Resource Name	The Impact of Disasters on Agriculture and Food Security: Avoiding and Reducing Losses through Investment in Resilience (SOFI 2023)
Relevant SDGs (list all relevant goals)	1, 2, 8, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Publishing entity/entities	The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Target audience	National Governments, Regional Governance Mechanisms, United Nations entities, Civil Society Organizations, Private Sector entities
Description (max 150 words)	The flagship report on the Impact of Disasters on Agriculture and Food Security unveils the first global estimation of disaster impacts on agriculture, contributing to Sendai Framework Monitor C2 and SDG 1.5.2, offers an analysis of systemic risk and underlying risk drivers, and presents an analysis of the quantified benefits of investing in disaster risk reduction in the agriculture sector. Over the last 30 years an estimated USD 3.8 trillion worth of crops and livestock production has been lost as a result of disaster event, and losses are increasing. Climate change, biological hazards, and armed conflicts are also impacting agricultural production. However, investment in proactive farm-level DRR good practices can achieve USD 3.60 of avoided loss on average under hazard conditions, and USD 4.30 under non-hazard conditions. When hazards are forecasted, every USD 1 invested in anticipatory action can yield up to USD 7 in benefits and avoided agricultural losses.
Language(s)	English. Currently in translation, soon to be available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish
Website (if applicable)	https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cc7900en
Resource Name	The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023. Urbanization, agrifood systems transformation and healthy diets across the rural-urban continuum. (SOFA 2023)
Relevant SDGs (list all relevant goals)	SDG 2
Publishing entity/entities	FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO
Target audience	National Governments, Regional Governance Mechanisms, United Nations entities, Civil Society Organizations, Policymakers at all levels
Description (max 150 words)	This report provides an update on global progress towards the targets of ending hunger (SDG Target 2.1) and all forms of malnutrition (SDG Target 2.2) and estimates on the number of people who are unable to afford a healthy diet. This report has repeatedly highlighted that the intensification and interaction of conflict, climate extremes and economic slowdowns and downturns, combined with highly unaffordable nutritious foods and growing inequality, are pushing us off track to meet the SDG 2 targets. However, other important megatrends must also be factored into the analysis to fully understand the challenges and opportunities to meet SDG 2 targets. The focus of this year’s report is urbanization. New evidence shows that food purchases in some countries are no longer high only among urban households but also among rural households. Consumption of highly processed foods is also increasing in peri-urban and rural areas of some countries. These changes are affecting people’s food security and nutrition in ways that differ depending on where they live across the rural–urban continuum. This timely and relevant theme is aligned with the United Nations General Assembly-endorsed New Urban Agenda, and the report provides recommendations on the policies, investments and actions needed to address the challenges of agrifood systems transformation under urbanization and to enable opportunities for ensuring access to affordable healthy diets for everyone.
Language(s)	English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish
Website (if applicable)	https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cc3017en
Resource Name	The State of Food and Agriculture 2023. Revealing the true cost of food to transform agrifood systems.  (SOFA 2023)
Relevant SDGs (list all relevant goals)	All SDGs
Publishing entity/entities	FAO
Target audience	National Governments, Regional Governance Mechanisms, United Nations entities, Civil Society Organizations, Policymakers at all levels
Description (max 150 words)	The State of Food and Agriculture 2023 looks into the true cost of food for sustainable agrifood systems. The report introduces the concept of hidden environmental, health and social costs and benefits of agrifood systems and proposes an approach – true cost accounting (TCA) – to assess them. To operationalize the TCA approach, the report proposes a two-phase assessment process, first relying on national-level TCA assessments to raise awareness and then moving towards in-depth and targeted evaluations to prioritize solutions and guide transformative actions. It provides a first attempt at national-level assessments for 154 countries, suggesting that global hidden costs from agrifood systems amount to at least to 10 trillion 2020 PPP dollars. The estimates indicate that low-income countries bear the highest burden of the hidden costs of agrifood systems relative to national income. Despite the preliminary nature of these estimates, the analysis reveals the urgent need to factor hidden costs into decision-making for the transformation of agrifood systems. Innovations in research and data, alongside investments in data collection and capacity building, are needed to scale the application of TCA, especially in low- and middle-income countries, so that it can become a viable tool to inform decision- and policymaking in a transparent and consistent way.
Language(s)	English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish
Website (if applicable)	https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en?details=cc7724en
Resource Name	Global Report on Food Crises 2023 (and regional overviews), and mid-year update
Relevant SDGs (list all relevant goals)	SDG 2
Publishing entity/entities	FAO and WFP
Target audience	National Governments, Regional Governance Mechanisms, United Nations entities, Civil Society Organizations, Policymakers at all levels
Description (max 150 words)	The Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) 2023 is the result of a collaborative effort among 16 partners to achieve a consensus-based assessment of acute food insecurity in GRFC countries. The report aims to inform humanitarian and development action by providing independent and consensus-based evidence and analysis. The 2023 report estimates that over a quarter of a billion people were acutely food-insecure and required urgent food assistance in 58 food-crisis countries/territories in 2022 - the highest number in the seven-year history of the GRFC.    The mid-year update includes the latest findings (as of August 2023) of global and regional acute food insecurity in 2023. High levels of acute food insecurity persist in 2023 due to protracted food crises and new shocks – but there are improvements in some countries. The Mid-Year Update only includes 48 of the 73 GRFC 2023 food crisis countries/territories with analyses covering 2023 and that were available by early August.
Language(s)	English (summaries in French and Spanish)
Website (if applicable)	https://www.fsinplatform.org/global-report-food-crises-2023     https://www.fsinplatform.org/global-report-food-crises-2023-mid-year-update
Resource Name	Hunger Hotspots: early warnings on acute food insecurity
Relevant SDGs (list all relevant goals)	SDG 2
Publishing entity/entities	FAO and WFP
Target audience	National Governments, Regional Governance Mechanisms, United Nations entities, Civil Society Organizations, Policymakers at all levels
Description (max 150 words)	FAO/WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity report is part of a series of analytical products produced under the Global Network against Food Crises initiative, to enhance and coordinate the generation and sharing of evidence-based information and analysis for preventing and addressing food crises.    The November 2023-April 2024 report warns that acute food insecurity is likely to deteriorate further in 18 hunger hotspots – comprising a total of 22 countries or territories including 2 regional clusters – during the outlook period from November 2023 to April 2024.
Language(s)	English
Website (if applicable)	https://www.fightfoodcrises.net/hunger-hotspots   (Report PDF)
Resource Name	Monitoring food security in food crisis countries and territories with conflict situations: A joint FAO/WFP update for the members of the United Nations Security Council
Relevant SDGs (list all relevant goals)	SDG 2, 16, 17
Publishing entity/entities	FAO and WFP
Target audience	UNSC
Description (max 150 words)	Monitoring food security in food crisis countries and territories with conflict situations has been published since June 2016, with the twelfth edition in April 2023. Through this report, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) inform the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) members on acute food insecurity situations, livelihood disruptions and the need for humanitarian assistance in countries affected by conflict and insecurity, where access to populations in need is often challenging.    The April 2023 issue focuses on: Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Mali, Mozambique, Myanmar, the Niger, Nigeria, Palestine, Somalia, South Sudan, the Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen.
Language(s)	English
Website (if applicable)	https://doi.org/10.4060/cc5722en
Resource Name	Guide for monitoring and evaluation of the public agricultural extension and advisory service system
Relevant SDGs (list all relevant goals)	SDG 1 and 2
Publishing entity/entities	FAO
Target audience	Technical practitioners – farmers, fishers, foresters, extension workers, etc.; internal – senior officers, headquarters staff, etc.; research – scientists, academia, institutes, etc.
Description (max 150 words)	This guide aims to propose a holistic, systemic, and easy-to-use methodology that is multiscalar, multisectoral, and multidimensional for the M&E of public EAS systems to help identify gaps and pathways to strengthen and reform the public EAS system. It starts with analyses of the common objectives, subject, challenges, lessons learned, and prospects of the existing M&E systems and expounds on the logical framework, rationale, and objectives of the proposed M&E methodology from a multistakeholder perspective. Then it proposes M&E frameworks at the national and grassroots levels following such order as the introduction, key M&E elements, indicator framework, and operational framework. Next, it looks at the issues of data sources, data collection, and capacity building, focusing on the institutionalization of the M&E system in the public EAS. Finally, it introduces the commonly used tools and methods of data analysis, focusing on the weighting of indicators, scoring methods, and integrated analytical frameworks.
Language(s)	English
Website (if applicable)	https://www.fao.org/3/cc4014en/cc4014en.pdf
Resource Name	Digital Agriculture Transformation Roadmap – Toolkit for Practitioners
Relevant SDGs (list all relevant goals)	SDG  1, 2, 5, 8 and 9
Publishing entity/entities	FAO
Target audience	Policy makers and digital agriculture practitioners
Description (max 150 words)	FAO's Digital Agriculture Transformation - Toolkit for Practitioners offers a thorough blueprint to aid nations in crafting their own digital agriculture transformation journeys and roadmaps. This comprehensive toolkit transcends mere technological considerations, serving as a navigational chart that allows stakeholders—from governments to academia, the private sector, and actors throughout the value chain—to pinpoint obstacles and devise solutions. Assessment and revision tools are built in to facilitate ongoing improvement based on real-world impact.
Language(s)	English
Website (if applicable)	N/A

 

4. In connection with the 2023 SDG Summit, the United Nations development system announced 12 High-Impact Initiatives where transformative progress is possible despite challenging global circumstances. Please share if your organization is contributing to any of these High Impact Initiatives and how various actors are being rallied behind them to mobilize further leadership and investment to bring progress to scale.  

• Digital Public Infrastructure (Scaling inclusive and open digital ecosystems for the SDGs) 

FAO is also contributing to the High Impact Initiative (HII) on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). The FAO Chief Economist participated in the SDG Digital Day on 17 September 2023, during the SDG Acceleration weekend event at the UNGA 2023. 

To accelerate agrifood systems transformation, FAO suggests creating strong linkages between the HHI on DPI and Food Systems Transformation. 

FAO is a Member of the Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA), championing Digital Public Goods (DPGs) and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and attends the annual DPGA Annual Members Meeting. This year’s meeting takes place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 14 to 16 November.  

FAO contributes to the annual State of Digital Public Goods Ecosystem Report. The 2023 report will be published early 2024. The 2022 report, highlighting FAO’s contribution, is available on https://digitalpublicgoods.net/DPG-Ecosystem-2022.pdf  

FAO, through the DPGA, supports 50-in5 “Scaling safe and inclusive Digital Public Infrastructure” unlocking the power of Digital Public Infrastructure. 

The FAO Director-General is Commissioner of the Broadband Commission (BBCOM), advocating for universal connectivity (part of the digital cooperation roadmap) to accelerate the SDG agenda, leaving no one behind. 

FAO launched the Digital Villages Initiative (DVI) to promote digital innovations to support inclusive, gender-sensitive rural development and sustainable agrifood system transformation. 

The FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 seeks to support the 2030 Agenda through the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind. FAO launched 20 Programme Priority Areas (PPA) using four cross-cutting/cross-sectional accelerators on technology, innovation, data, and complements (governance, human capital, and institutions) in all its programmatic interventions.  

One PPA part of Better Production is related to Digital Agriculture aiming to make digital technologies more accessible to enhance market opportunities, productivity and resilience integrated into agrifood systems policies and programmes, with particular focus on ensuring affordable and equitable access of poor and vulnerable rural communities. 

FAO co-leads the Global Coalition for Data and Digital Food Systems Innovation, which unites public, private, and non-profit organizations committed to responsible digital innovation in agrifood systems and better collaboration in the pre-competitive space. 

 

• Energy Compacts (Scaling up ambition to deliver on SDG7) 

• Food Systems Transformation (Transforming food systems for a sustainable world without hunger) 

The High Impact Initiative on Food Systems Transformation is led by FAO in close cooperation with a number of key partners with mandate in food and agriculture, will help Member States by providing policy and technical assistance; offering innovative tools and solutions; and strengthening the national capacities for nationally owned, led and accelerated transformative processes for agrifood systems. 

This High Impact Initiative will act as an overarching, active and inclusive means of implementation and will advance this ambitious agenda by mobilizing finance, science, data (including geospatial platforms), innovative solutions, robust policy and governance mechanisms to support food systems transformation.  

This High Impact Initiative will drive progress not only on SDG2 (Zero Hunger), but across all SDGs. The world’s agrifood systems can be highly effective at driving transformative change across all SDGs under the right conditions and with the appropriate actions.  

The High Impact Initiative will achieve this through three key pillars:   

• The development and provision of tools, methods, models, and analyses that leverage the best results obtained from the implementation of the FSS recommendations, including the advantages of applying a territorial approach and data resources of the Hand-in-Hand Geospatial Platform. 

• A flexible and innovative approach to partnership based on identifying technical and programmatic challenges and supporting the design and implementation of innovative solutions. 

• The pooling of existing investments and, where appropriate, the deployment of new financial instruments as well as risk-reducing or risk-sharing financial structures, as investment is an indispensable driver of transformative change. 

As a starting point under the overall guidance of the UN Deputy Secretary-General, FAO together with IFAD, WFP, the World Bank and UNIDO organized a high-level event on 17 September 2023.  

The event provided continuity to the outcomes of the Food Systems Summit 2021, and the UNFSS +2 Stocktaking Moment held at FAO headquarters, in July 2023. With the objective to advocate for agrifood systems transformation as a vital mean to achieve SDG 1 and 2, eradication of poverty and Hunger, and to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The session brought together key Member States, United Nations Agencies, International Financial Institutions, Private Sector Partners, and Farmers Organization. It provided a space for an inclusive dialogue around what is needed to implement this ambitious agenda, the selected means of implementation such as targeted financing, science, data (including geospatial platform), innovative solutions and a robust policy and governance mechanism in line with the national transformation pathways.  

The session also aimed to mobilize commitments from Members for prioritizing their journey of agrifood systems transformation to ensure food security and healthy diets for all as well as that agrifood systems work for people and the planet as described in the report of the United Nations Secretary-General "Progress on food systems transformation since the UN Food Systems Summit 2021". While calling on UN Agencies and all relevant partners to assist countries in this journey, it will build on and advocate for selected means of implementations that would help to accelerate national processes. 

• FutureGov (Building public sector capabilities for the future) 

• Global Accelerator (The Global Accelerator on jobs and social protection for just transitions)  

Together with other UN agencies, FAO is a member of the Global Accelerator, which is being led by ILO. While the content and working modalities of the Accelerator are under development, FAO’s expected contribution is on ensuring that the Accelerator addresses the needs of rural populations working in agrifood systems.    

• Local2030 Coalition (Pushing key transitions and achieving the SDGs by 2030)  

The Local2030 Coalition is the UN system-wide platform and network for supporting and accelerating the localization of the Sustainable Development Goals. 

It brings together the UN-system, national, regional and local governments and their associations, businesses, and community-based organizations to foster collaboration and innovation, share solutions, and implement strategies to support local stakeholders in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Local2030 Coalition is co-chaired by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), a lead agency for its Secretariat, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), a rotational co-chair for 2022-2023 period.   

FAO will be a rotational co-chair of Local2030 Coalition for 2024-25 period. 

The High Impact Initiative on Localization is one of twelve high impact initiatives led by UN-system entities that showcase select programmatic offerings and initiatives to support Member States' efforts towards just development transitions and SDG achievement. By fostering multilevel governance structures, bridging various sectors to address multiple territorial scales of the urban-rural continuum, helping to build coherence across policies and actions, strengthening multistakeholder capacities and enhancing their collaboration, leveraging resources to finance a pipeline of local-level initiatives and broadening avenues for inclusive participation the Local2030 Coalition will ensure the SDGs are fully localized. 

Localization is the key approach to collectively propel greater inclusion and sustainability to achieve specific SDG transitions (e.g. Food systems, Energy access and affordability, Digital connectivity, Education, Jobs and social protection, and Climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution) and achieve the SDGs by 2030, leaving no one, no community, and no place behind. These key transitions are rooted in local components that require local solutions. Thus, among others, the Local2030 Coalition will advocate and provide resources and capacity for local governments and local actors to: 

• Accelerate the transformation of food systems, ensuring that national commitments cascade down to the territorial and local levels. 

• Direct their efforts toward inclusivity across a range of substantive policy areas, including education, social protection and jobs. 

• Support the elimination of violence against women and girls through the scaled up implementation of the Women-Led Cities initiative. 

• Ensure localized impact of biodiversity and nature focused investments. 

• Complement national data and statistics through systematic collection of local data on SDG achievement. 

FAO contributes to HII  by developing Guidelines on establishing multi-level governance for sustainable food systems focusing on  the key role of city and local governments to assist cities and local governments to accelerate transition to more sustainable and inclusive food systems. 

The food systems approach needs an appropriate governance framework. As part of HII on Localisation, FAO will support development of a framework, guiding principles and practical recommendations, with practical examples, for enhancing multi-level governance to be made available to policymakers at different levels and food systems stakeholders. 

The guidelines aim at making recommendations on mechanisms that could be tested to operationalize multi-level food systems governance in selected pilot countries. 

The Guidelines are developed by FAO in partnership with Rikolto and it is one of the key products of the Sustainable and Inclusive Urban Food Systems Coalition. The Guidelines are intended as a living document. Members of the Coalition are contributing to the development of the guideline providing: i) inputs on the guidelines; ii) additional case studies; iii) recommendations from Urban Food Systems learning Labs organized in additional countries. 

• Nature Driving Economic Transformation (Leveraging the power of biodiversity and nature to drive equitable economic progress)  

• Power of Data (Unlocking the data dividend for the SDGs)  

• Spotlight Initiative (To eliminate violence against women and girls) 

• The SDG Stimulus (Scaling up long-term affordable financing for the SDGs)  

• Transforming4Trade (Paradigm shift to boost economic development)  

• Transforming Education (Learning to build a better future for all) 

 

5. In addition to the above, has your organization been part of any other initiatives or multi-stakeholder partnerships that enhance effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions and reinforce the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, especially in the areas of poverty eradication (SDG1), food systems transformation (SDG2), climate action (SDG13), governance (SDG16), partnerships (SDG17), which will go under in-depth review at the HLPF in 2024, or related to the Secretary-General’s proposals in Our Common Agenda?  

 

Initiative/Partnership Name	Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance (GCRG)
Partners (please list all partners)	The full list of members can be accessed here: https://news.un.org/pages/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/GCRG-Members.pdf
Relevant SDGs (list all relevant goals)	SDG 1 and 2
Member States benefiting from it	All United Nations Member States
Description (max 150 words)	The GCRG was established in March 2022 by the UN Secretary-General to respond to the unprecedented and interconnected food, energy, and finance crises in the world. While high food and fuel prices and tightening finances can have important effects on their own, they can also cascade, creating vicious cycles of poverty, hunger and inequalities. The rising prices resulted in a global cost-of-living crisis.  The GCRG will help decision-makers to mobilize solutions and develop strategies to help countries address the interlinked crisis with food, energy and finance.  FAO Chief Economist acts as co-lead for the workstream on food.
Website	https://news.un.org/pages/global-crisis-response-group/
Initiative/Partnership Name	Sustainable Agrifood Systems Intelligence Initiative
Partners (please list all partners)	FAO, EU
Relevant SDGs (list all relevant goals)	SDG 1,2,10, 12, 17
Member States benefiting from it	Sierra Leone, Colombia, Bhutan, others TBD
Description (max 150 words)	This initiative seeks to design and implement an integrated and interlinked set of interventions which will contribute to improving the availability, access and use of empirically based knowledge and guidance for effective institutional processes, policies, and transformative investment to accelerate the transition to sustainable and resilient agrifood systems. At country level, it will contribute to a greater understanding of essential institutional processes, policy and investment interventions to support the transition while shedding light on the challenges, opportunities and trade-offs at national and sub-national levels. And it will help public, private and civil society actors understand better the role they can play in supporting this transition.
Website	https://www.fao.org/support-to-investment/our-work/projects/fsa2021/en/
Initiative/Partnership Name	HDP Nexus Coalition – Fighting Food Crises
Partners (please list all partners)	Co-leads: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), group of 7+ (g7+), FAO, WFP  Members: 66 members from across humanitarian, development, and peace actors (Member States, UN System, International Organizations, INGOs, civil society, think tanks/research, private sector).
Relevant SDGs (list all relevant goals)	SDG  2, 16, 17
Member States benefiting from it	Chad, Yemen, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Ghana
Description (max 150 words)	The Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus Coalition – Fighting Food crises emerged through the United Nations Food Systems Summit, held in September 2021. Against the background of the increase in world hunger since 2015, driven primarily by violent conflict and the impact of climate change, the coalition aims to contribute to ending hunger through pursuing peace and unleashing the potential of sustainable food systems to enhance the prospects for peace.    The coalition’s efforts are supported by a dedicated Secretariat funded by the European Union and hosted by the Global Network Against Food Crises.
Website	https://www.fightfoodcrises.net/hdp-coalition/en/
Initiative/Partnership Name	Sustainable Rice Landscapes Initiative
Partners (please list all partners)	WBCSD, SRP, FAO, UNEP, IRRI, GIZ
Relevant SDGs (list all relevant goals)	SDG 2, 13, 6
Member States benefiting from it	Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam
Description (max 150 words)	This collaborative initiative brings together diverse stakeholders to promote more sustainable rice production practices and products to deliver a range of local and global environmental benefits and support achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SRLI partners contribute to meeting global demand for sustainable rice and recognize that this involves transforming rice-based production landscapes through multi-stakeholder action. SRLI supported projects or projects with an SRLI related component are now under being implemented or are under development in eleven countries in Asia mobilizing around upwards of US$100 million of grants and as much as US$1 billion of public and private sector co-financing
Website	https://www.fao.org/asiapacific/partners/networks/rice-initiative/en/
Initiative/Partnership Name	Tropical Agriculture Platform (TAP)
Partners (please list all partners)	52 partners including all the regional research and extension organizations such as:  Forum for Agricultural Research In Africa (FARA)  Association of Agricultural Research Institutions in the Near East and North Africa (AARINENA)  Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI)  Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR)  Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS)  Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)  RELASER: Latin-American network of Extension Services  Agrinatura –The European Alliance on Agricultural Knowledge for Development
Relevant SDGs (list all relevant goals)	SDG1, SDG2, SDG9, SDG11, SDG13
Member States benefiting from it	Cambodia, Laos PDR, Pakistan, Eretria, Rwanda, Malawi, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Colombia
Description (max 150 words)	Initiated by the G20 Members in 2012, the Tropical Agriculture Platform (TAP) focuses on the development of national capacities for agricultural innovation in the tropics, where most of the developing countries are located and the capacity gap is especially wide. By helping to bridge the capacity gap, TAP aims to pave the way for agricultural innovations that meet the demands of its principal users - small farmers, small and medium-sized agribusinesses and consumers.   To achieve these goals, TAP has embraced the so-called Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS) perspective, acting as a multilateral dynamic facilitation mechanism that enables better coherence and greater impact of Capacity Development (CD) interventions in AIS.   TAP has formed a coalition of more than 50 partners, including national agricultural research, education and extension institutions as well as civil society actors, farmers’ organizations and key regional and international fora, networks and agencies.   Concepts and principles of the TAP Common Framework have been tested and scaled-up in more than 15 countries in Africa (Angola, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Malawi, Eretria, Senegal), Asia (Bangladesh, Laos, Cambodia, Pakistan) and Central America (Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, El Salvador), as part of two initiatives funded by the European Commission, Capacity Development for Agricultural Innovation Systems (CDAIS project) and Scaling up of TAP Common Framework (TAP-AIS project).
Website	https://www.fao.org/in-action/tropical-agriculture-platform/background/en/
Initiative/Partnership Name	Global Network of Digital Innovation Hubs
Partners (please list all partners)	Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of ICT, and local stakeholders (e.g. universities, research institutions, public agencies, etc.)
Relevant SDGs (list all relevant goals)	SDGs: 1,2,9,17
Member States benefiting from it	Morocco, Ethiopia, Dominica and Grenada
Description (max 150 words)	The initiative aims to establish a Global Network Digital Agriculture Innovation Hubs in countries to mainstream digital agriculture innovation while promoting the digital transformation of agrifood systems. In each country, the respective Digital Agriculture Innovation Hub will be designed considering the national strategic priorities, digital maturity in the country, and local needs. Then various national Digital Agriculture Innovation Hubs will be interconnected to share knowledge, experience, and expertise.
Website	https://www.fao.org/in-action/global-network-digital-agriculture-innova…;

Initiative/Partnership Name	One Planet Network Sustainable Food Systems (SFS) Programme
Partners (please list all partners)	The Sustainable Food Systems (SFS) Programme was launched in October 2015, as a multi-stakeholder programme to promote SCP patterns in the area of food and agriculture. It is co-led by Costa Rica, Switzerland and WWF, with the support of a Multi-stakeholder Advisory Committee (MAC) with 23 members from five different stakeholder clusters:  Government agencies  Civil society organizations  Research and technical institutions  UN agencies and other international organizations (FAO, IFAD, UNDP, UNEP)  Private sector  Furthermore, the SFS Programme currently has over 190 partners from all stakeholder groups and around the globe.
Relevant SDGs (list all relevant goals)	SDG12, SDG2, SDG17
Member States benefiting from it	All members (global partnership)
Description (max 150 words)	The Sustainable Food Systems (SFS) Programme is a multi-actor partnership focused on catalyzing urgent transformation towards sustainable food systems, as a critical strategy to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Through a shared vision of inclusive, diverse, resilient, healthy and sustainable food systems, our partners collaborate on joint on-the-ground activities, research initiatives and advocacy efforts in support of more coherent and holistic policies to address complex food systems challenges. To do this, the SFS Programme promotes a ‘systems-based’ approach, which tackles the food system as a whole, taking into account the interconnections between the elements and actors of our food systems and the indispensable trade-offs.
Website	Sustainable Food Systems | One Planet network

6. In the Political Declaration adopted at the 2023 SDG Summit, Member States committed to using the review of the high-level political forum at the 78th session of the General Assembly to further strengthen the follow-up and review of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, harnessing data to track progress in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals and targets, strengthening analysis of the interlinkages across the Goals and targets, including policy implications of their synergies and trade-offs. Please provide your organization’s recommendations, if any, in this regard.  

• Strengthen follow-up and review of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at HLPF 

2030 Agenda Follow-up and Review  

• Increase outreach and use of HLPF inputs. Find ways to disseminate, discuss and utilize more effectively the Expert Group Meetings (EGMs) intergovernmental inputs and other inputs to the HLPF and its preparatory process, (i) so that information is available to delegations involved in the negotiations of the Ministerial Declaration and other stakeholders, inform the HLPF itself and help identify potential speakers for the relevant HLPF sessions; and  (ii) so that the inputs are also known and inform discussions in the context of the work of UN entities and other multilateral bodies. 

• Increase collaboration between UN system and Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR process). Tap into Specialized Agency Expertise in the Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) process and explore ways in which the UN can more effectively engage with the Independent Group of Science (IGS), while assuring independence of the report. Incentivize UN entities to use, disseminate and discuss GSDR findings and recommendations in the context of their work. 

• Promote exchange between expert groups and policy and decision makers of different sectors. Different parts of the UN system are tapping into different expertise to tackle emerging and existing challenges and suggest recommendations. The exchanges between these different expert groups could provide a more holistic assessment of the issues and recommendations that respond to the interlinked nature of the SDGs, make best use of synergies and consider the inevitable trade-offs that exist when pursuing different outcomes. 

• Share success stories and lessons learned. Identify ways to better share success stories, discuss their lessons learned and applicability in other contexts, to increase cooperation and knowledge of good practices that can inform other action. 

Leverage the Voluntary National Reviews 

The important role of the Voluntary National Reviews in not only reviewing but also accelerating the progress towards the SDGs by means of identifying and revealing the gaps and challenges in achieving the SDGs, considering the interactions, trade-offs and synergies during the current implementation period, as well as committing to the integrated action for the future.  

Analysing progress on the SDGs needs to start with data analysis, based on the statistics collected by the national statistical offices and other partners (when such data is recognized officially) in line with the global, national or sub-national indicator framework. Data analysis and visualization of it (which is highly encouraged) help to show quantified progress towards individual targets based on the baselines and targets for specific indicators (UNSD, 2022). While data analysis will revel trends in terms of progress towards the SDGs, for the VNR to be meaningful it is extremely important to look beyond data analysis to understand the change that has or has not happened with regard to individual Goals but also with regard to entire systems and pathways for transformation.  

UN Committee for Development Policy (UNCDP) (2022) has consistently called for the need to move away from the descriptive VNR reports towards reviews that incorporate more specific and substantive discussions and analysis on national and international policies, actions and strategies taken as part of the global social contract in pursuit of the SDGs, review in particular the challenges of achieving the transformative and integrated objectives of the 2030 Agenda and include a reference to the key constraints faced by countries and support needed.  

The VNRs reviewed are not reflecting the transformative ambition of the 2030 Agenda, nor do they appear to be effectively used as tools for taking lessons learned into policy debates and processes. The VNR reports are largely descriptive and lack the substantive assessments and analyses required to serve their intended purpose of sharing the experiences of national governments, civil society, businesses and international partners. More detailed attention to and reflection on policies, strategies and actions taken, nationally and internationally and their impact, would help identify experiences and lessons learned, which could support improvements to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. 

The following guiding principles are suggested to be used throughout the preparation process (see the image below):  

 

 

 

 

Frame the process around the six SDGR entry points  

The process requires finding a constant balance between dealing with the individual Goals and broader systems within which they are situated. The relevance of the systemic approach is, therefore, paramount for an effective VNR. This needs to be communicated to all the stakeholders to facilitate stakeholder involvement in the process while ensuring that the process yields operational results and helps identify not only the current state of play but also the pathways likely to make the systems more sustainable. 

 

Combine quantitative and qualitative data 

The method need to be adapted according to the availability (or absence) of data and its quality, while making the underlying assumptions, limitations and validity of the proposed indicators explicit. A combination of qualitative data and quantitative data will be used. 

 

Use a multi-actor participatory approach 

The methodology will rely on participatory approaches. A diverse set of actors will need to be involved in order to contribute to the VNR preparation process and enrich the analysis of data. In particular, the stakeholders will contribute to three steps of the process: (i) initial framing of the main issues; (ii) documenting and validating key trends of the positive or negative progress; and (iii) participating in a final workshop aimed at achieving a shared understanding of the state of the 2030 Agenda implementation, key challenges and potential challenges.  

 

Implement an iterative process

The assessment will be an iterative process. It will also be necessary to go back and forth during the analysis to ensure that new insights are incorporated from different stakeholders before the final validation of the suggested report. 

 

Provide a multidimensional review of the 2030 Agenda implementation 

The suggested approach to the VNR preparation builds on the combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis, combining a traditional SDG by SDG data analysis with a quantitative multi-dimensional GSDR-based analysis. 

 

Facilitate action-oriented decision-making 

The review will need to be able to provide information addressed to policymakers, but which should also be readable by people and stakeholders with other backgrounds and interest. The VNRs need to foster a common vision of the sustainable development transformations at the national and sub-national levels.  

 

• Harnessing data to track progress in implementation 

Healthy diets are necessary for preventing all forms of malnutrition and for promotion of a variety of health outcomes even in the absence of overt malnutrition. Yet, healthy diets are not directly captured by any of the current set of SDG indicators, which track the prevalence of undernourishment (PoU, hunger), food insecurity (according to the food insecurity experience scale [FIES]), and nutritional status (child stunting and wasting and women’s anaemia). While hunger, food insecurity, healthy diets and nutrition status are inextricably linked, they are not synonymous or interchangeable in terms of what they measure and reflect. Serious issues related to the healthfulness of diets in countries that have known implications for nutritional outcomes may be missed by focusing solely on PoU, FIES or indicators of nutritional status. 

Achieving healthy diets for all is a prerequisite that goes beyond the eradication of hunger to realizing the ambition of SDG 2 for improved nutrition, to ensure the health, growth and human capital on which all SDGs rely. The current indicator framework for SDG 2 does not directly capture this fundamental link and therefore should be complemented by other indicators to better inform actions for realizing healthy diets, eradicating all forms of malnutrition, and promoting and supporting health outcomes for people everywhere. As highlighted in the recent FAO report on tracking progress on food and agriculture related SDG indicators, progress monitoring towards SDG 2 is missing this key component: healthy diets.  

In recognition of this gap, FAO has joined forces with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), together with academic experts in the field of dietary assessment to form the Healthy Diets Monitoring Initiative (HDMI). The HDMI aims to provide evidence-informed guidance on the use of healthy diet metrics for national and global monitoring, and to foster the additional research and testing needed to ensure recommended metrics are validated and fit-for-purpose. Through the HDMI, FAO with partners will generate the consensus and tools needed to ensure that one of the key results of effective food systems transformation, i.e., progress towards healthy diets can be measured and utilized for decision making globally and locally. 
 

• Strengthening analysis of the interlinkages across Goals and targets, including policy implications of their synergies and trade-offs 

Integrated policy approach goes beyond targeting thematic sectors but rather targets systems allowing for the identification and responding to cause and effects of complex challenges, to multiply impacts across the entire 2030 Agenda. 

The United Nations have developed and compiled/in the process to develop/update  various tools and platforms for integrated modelling and analysis of synergies and trade-offs for integrated SDGs policies at country level for analysing system interconnections, enhancing policy coherence, ensuring that no one is left behind, identifying risks and building resilience. 

The various existing UN joint or UN Entity-specific (thematic) methodologies, toolkits, assessments, analytical frameworks, etc. are not fully compiled and not yet meta-analyzed or synthesized.   

The utility of these methodologies needs to be well elaborated and documented with a real case study, thus considering the importance of foods systems for the 2030 Agenda, it is proposed to explore applications of these SDG integration methodologies and identification of the most catalytic accelerators or to develop new ones, with the following approach: 

• reviewing existing SDG integration methodologies that comprise methodologies themselves, toolkits, assessments, modelling and analytical frameworks, etc.,  

• providing in-depth analysis and synthesis of reviewed materials with consolidated summaries of their potential utility, 

• assessing these analytical methodologies from the perspectives of integration, coherence, acceleration and transformative action, 

• piloting them in a country specific context for selected countries of diverse development status, identifying the areas to maximize synergies, minimize trade-offs, and explore the spill-overs. 

• Other suggestions   

In paragraph 38(k) of the Political Declaration adopted at the 2023 SDG Summit, Member States recommitted to the full implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 and described their commitments towards acceleration of its implementation. In line with the findings of the FAO flagship report on the Impact of Disasters on Agriculture and Food Security, FAO endorses the recommendation to promote a disaster risk-informed approach to sustainable development and the integration of DRR into policies, programmes, and investments at all levels. FAO is committed to continuing to research and promote farm-level DRR good practices and to scale up early warning that leads to anticipatory action, thereby protecting development gains, to supporting Member States in the monitoring of the Sendai Framework indicator C2 and by extension the SDGs it feeds into, and to providing policy and strategic advice to Member States on the integration of DRR in agriculture and standalone DRR policies and strategies for agriculture towards the implementation of Sendai Framework Target E.