Global Assistance

Accelerating the Means of Implementation

Global Coalition for Data and Digital Food Systems Innovation

Type of Assistance

In-country technical support missions for pathways development, operationalization or implementation (system-wide or thematic). Expert assistance: deploy or assign expert to country remotely or physical or maintain roster of experts and thought Leaders
Mobilize resources including developing investment cases for financial assistance to pathways implementation
Analytics: assessments, analysis, data collection, evidence generation and monitoring, solution scanning and modeling. Monitoring and Evaluation support: identifying meaningful progress indicators, developing results frameworks and M&E plans

Coverage: Global

Summary of Assistance:

The Global Coalition for Data and Digital Food Systems Innovation has two leading functions.

Function 1: The Coalition builds on the work of the Innovation Lever of Change of the 2021 UNFSS, ensuring data and digital technologies are used to their fullest to drive climate, biodiversity, nutrition, and development outcomes through food systems transformation.

Function 2: A collaborative impact network in the pre-competitive space supporting countries, organizations and existing mechanisms promoting ethical action, agile governance and collaborative learning to advance data and digital innovation in food systems, unlocking public, private, and non-profit tools, services and investments.

The Coalition is supporting the development of OneMap – a cooperation and co-creation mechanism based on core governance principles to provide access to global analytics and capacity to help governments fast-track the development of their data ecosystem and use geospatial data together with farmer data and other data to improve planning and decision making on agriculture and land use topics.

Focal Points and Contact: Federico Ronca, [email protected]; Richmond Manasseh, [email protected]

Food Action Alliance

Type of Assistance

National Pathway formulation, update or operationalization: support the formulation, update, prioritization or operationalization of Pathways. Operationalization can be done through e.g. Pathway implementation plan development, costing the Pathway or assistance to setting up governance structures for Pathway implementation
In-country technical support missions for pathways development, operationalization or implementation (system-wide or thematic). Expert assistance: deploy or assign expert to country remotely or physical or maintain roster of experts and thought Leaders
Mobilize resources including developing investment cases for financial assistance to pathways implementation

Coverage: Global

Summary of Assistance:

The Food Action Alliance is a global multi-stakeholder platform (40+ partners) that supports leading countries to channel collective action, partnerships and investment behind food systems flagship initiatives through scaled implementation of actionable food systems strategies, investment plans, and inclusive coordination mechanisms.

Function 1: Co-creating & mobilizing partners around a shared vision: the Alliance enters into long-term partnerships with governments ready to lead on a food systems transformation.

Function 2: Enabling widespread implementation, investment, & innovation - the Alliance helps rally partners behind one country’s vision through public private coordination platforms and a suite of “flagship initiatives” to help deliver concrete action & investment.

Function 3: Coordinating the best of diverse efforts & interests by trying to reflect systemic models.

Function 4: Learning & adapting over time, as initiatives can be drawn from existing coalitions & initiatives working with countries. Supporting countries to showcase their strategies and initiatives in major events and agenda-setting processes.

The Alliance currently works through regional delivery hubs with leading regional partners such as AGRA in Africa, Grow Asia in Asia, CII in India, and CIAT and IICA in the Americas.

Focal Point and Contact: Adam Gerstenmier, [email protected]

Relevant Links & Documents: Website

French Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment (INRAE)

Type of Assistance

Strategies and policies formulation: support the formulation or review of national food system related strategies, policies and legal frameworks. Normative guidance: e.g. development or review of guidelines and how to use them at country level
Analytics: assessments, analysis, data collection, evidence generation and monitoring, solution scanning and modeling. Monitoring and Evaluation support: identifying meaningful progress indicators, developing results frameworks and M&E plans

Coverage: Global

Summary of Assistance:

The French Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment (INRAE) has two services to support countries in knowledge mobilization.

Foresight functions- it proposes visions of the future based on a representation of the determinants of a given situation (sector of activity, territory, etc.), its relations with its environment and their possible evolution. Foresight produces transdisciplinary knowledge by mobilizing scientific knowledge from various disciplines and expertise from the experience of the actors involved to feed a strategic reflection.
Collective Scientific Assessment (CSA) provides a detailed state of scientific knowledge on specific subjects for policies and actions. They are instigated by national or international institutions and supervised by a committee of experts (10 to 30 researchers from various disciplines and institutions, and recognized for their scientific production and expertise). CSAs usually last 18 to 24 months.

Foresight studies and CSA are divided into 3 steps:

Instruction: the key focus areas are determined, the questions to be addressed defined, and the three committees set up.
Interdisciplinary work: (i) produce an analysis of what is known, (ii) formulate conclusions and guiding lines, including research gaps.
Restitution of the report and dissemination to a larger audience.

Focal Point and Contact: Guy Richard, [email protected]

Relevant Links & Documents: Website; Catalog of published reports (English) ; liste des rapports publiés (French)

Committee on World Food Security (CFS)

Type of Assistance

National Pathway formulation, update or operationalization: support the formulation, update, prioritization or operationalization of Pathways. Operationalization can be done through e.g. Pathway implementation plan development, costing the Pathway or assistance to setting up governance structures for Pathway implementation
Strategies and policies formulation: support the formulation or review of national food system related strategies, policies and legal frameworks. Normative guidance: e.g. development or review of guidelines and how to use them at country level

Coverage: Global in all 6 official UN languages

Summary of Assistance:

The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) has two offers:

1. Policy guidance

CFS has led the development of multilaterally agreed policy guidance tools on global food security and nutrition to inform governments’ policies and strategies, including the formulation of National Pathways. CFS inclusive processes ensure that the voices of all relevant stakeholders, particularly those most affected by food insecurity and malnutrition, are heard in the policy convergence process. The High-Level Panel of Experts (HLPE-FSN) on Food Security and Nutrition provides independent evidence-based reports to inform and support policy discussions. Among the most relevant policy guidance tools that could serve as reference frameworks at the national level, there are: Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition (CFS-VGFSN), the Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI) along with a range of Policy Recommendations including the Policy Recommendations on Agroecological and Other Innovative Approaches for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems that Enhance Food Security and Nutrition, the Policy Recommendations on Promoting Youth Engagement and Employment in Agriculture and Food Systems, and the Policy Recommendations on Connecting Smallholders to Markets. The full list of CFS policy guidance tools is available at: https://www.fao.org/cfs/policy-products/en/

2. Coordination

Building on its vision to strive for a world free from hunger where countries implement the Voluntary Guidelines for the progressive realization of the right to adequate food in the context of national food security, CFS plays a coordination role at the global level by providing an inclusive platform for discussion and coordination to strengthen collaborative action among governments, regional organizations, international organizations and agencies, NGOs, CSOs, food producers’ organizations, private sector organizations, philanthropic organizations, and other relevant stakeholders, in a manner that is in alignment with each country’s specific context and needs. Such an inclusive global platform could support and enhance countries’ efforts to articulate and implement their national pathways. Members and stakeholders could also use the science-backed, inclusive global CFS model as a reference for their National Dialogues’ structure.

Focal Points and Contact: Günter Hemrich, [email protected]; CFS (ESA) [email protected]

Foresight4Food

Type of Assistance

National Pathway formulation, update or operationalization: support the formulation, update, prioritization or operationalization of Pathways. Operationalization can be done through e.g. Pathway implementation plan development or assistance in assessing policy and practice options for Pathway implementation
Strategies and policies formulation: support the formulation or review of national food system related strategies, policies and legal frameworks. Normative guidance: e.g. development or review of guidelines and how to use them at country level
Capacity strengthening support for a contextualized “food systems approach” and tailored training programmes for country level

Coverage: Global

Summary of Assistance:

Foresight4Food provides a mechanism for better analysis and synthesis of key trends and possible futures in global food systems to support more informed and strategic dialogue between the private sector, government, science and civil society.

Foresight4Food is an international initiative that supports food system transformation processes by offering organizations scenario and foresight expertise, synthesizing foresight work in agri-food and linking food systems foresight professionals around the world. The initiative holds regular events and seminars and brings together a wide range of actors, platforms and networks who have an interest in food systems foresight.

The Initiative is currently hosted by the Food Systems Group of the Environmental Change Institute of University of Oxford.

Contact: [email protected]

Relevant Links & Documents: Website