SEED FUNDING JOINT PROGRAMMES

Egypt

Strengthening Sustainable and Resilient Food and Nutrition Systems in Egypt for SDG Acceleration

SDG 2 Zero Hunger Logo SDG 3 Good Health and Well-Being SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production

PROJECT TITLE	Strengthening Sustainable and Resilient Food and Nutrition Systems in Egypt for SDG Acceleration
Context	Egypt engaged actively in the 2021 Food Systems Summit process, convening a national dialogue and developing national pathways with recommended interventions for improving food security and nutrition by 2030. To enhance multi-sectorial coordination and spearhead the transformation process, the Government created a National Committee for Food and Nutrition Systems chaired by the Prime Minister and bringing together several ministries to coordinate joint actions. Strengthening coordination mechanisms, fostering multi-stakeholder partnerships, consolidating accountability structures, focusing on the availability of evidence, analysis, and data, are identified as key priorities to strengthen the food systems governance structure in Egypt.
PUNOs	WFP, FAO, UNICEF
Contribution to SDGs	SDG 2 Zero Hunger, SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being, 12 Responsible Consumption and Production.
Contribution to other SDG transitions	Climate, biodiversity, pollution
Duration	June 2024 – May 2025
Expected financial leverage	$87,000 (PUNO co-financing)
Alignment with SG Call to Action	Policy integration; Food systems governance; Research, data, technology and innovation; Inclusive and participatory design; Private sector engagement
Outcomes	The JP contributes to strengthening policy and governance frameworks for food systems transformation and generating evidence and analysis on key dimensions of food systems to inform decision-making, supporting the work of the National Committee for Food and Nutrition Systems. The JP complements the government’s flagship program “Country Platform for the Nexus of Water, Food and Energy”, which provides a mechanism to mobilize climate finance and private investments.
Partners	National Committee for Food and Nutrition Systems, including Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Supply and Internal Trade, Health and Population, Planning and Economic Development, International Cooperation, Social Solidarity, Youth and Sports, Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Water Resources and Irrigation, and Trade and Industry, as well as representatives of the Defense Ministry and the National Authority for Food Safety Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics CSOs, private sector, IFIs
Outputs	Strengthen capacity of government institutions including the National Committee for Food and Nutrition Systems to effectively develop, implement, and monitor multi-sector, climate resilient, and gender responsive plans and initiatives for food system transformation. Develop recommendations on financing options, partnerships and M&E for Egypt’s food systems strategies ad national pathways addressed to the National Committee for Food and Nutrition Systems. Support development and/or drafting of M&E plans and costing plans for key policy frameworks relevant to food systems agenda, including on anaemia reduction and marketing of breastmilk substitutes. Conduct analysis on gender-disaggregated impacts of economic crises on different food systems segments. Carry out analysis and develop recommendations for: 1) more efficient, climate resilient, and gender responsive food value chains; 2) food loss and waste systems in small-holder farming systems; 3) food marketing.

Advancing agrifood systems transformation: Key insights from the FAO-UNEP workshop in Bangkok

South Asian countries join together to empower and collaborate for sustainable agrifood systems transformation.

18/12/2023

In a concerted effort to address the imperative of sustainable agrifood systems, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and with the active participation of the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, recently convened a three-day workshop in Bangkok. The workshop, titled 'Concretizing Actions for Agrifood Systems Transformation in Selected South Asian Countries,' is part of a three-part series designed to articulate pragmatic strategies for the transformation of agrifood systems in select South Asian countries. The first workshop took place in November 2023, with the participation of Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, and Timor Leste, while the second installment included Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The workshop brought together government representatives from diverse ministries in low- to middle-income countries, uniting them in a collective pursuit of empowerment, capacity building, and knowledge exchange. The overarching objective was to foster a collaborative environment conducive to shared learning and the development of actionable insights.

The workshop series featured a blend of technical presentations and interactive group exercises, with a focus on critical aspects of agrifood systems transformation, aligned to the Secretary-General Report and Call to Action at the UN Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment (UNFSS+2). It included:

National pathways analysis: Technical presentation on the analysis of the national food systems transformation pathways and alignment to the food systems approach, anchored in the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) Food Systems Framework; and opportunities to converge climate topics grounded in national legal frameworks.
Means of Implementation: Translating national pathways into costed action plans, identifying priority actions and data gaps in assessing proposed programmatic actions.
Capacity development roadmap and stakeholder mapping: A case study on building strategic alliances and partnerships with stakeholders. This includes identifying and assessing the capacity and competencies of key stakeholders for priority actions to support the action plan.

The UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, positioned in a listening capacity, participated actively in absorbing the experiences and perspectives of participating nations. This observational role facilitated a nuanced understanding of the diverse contexts and levels at which each country is actively engaged in the pursuit of food systems transformation.

The third workshop will take place for the Pacific nations, hosted on the margins of the Pacific Solution in June. An outcome report will inform the Hub, regional task force, and the larger ecosystem of support to better understand the opportunities and needs of countries, to support them in implementing their national pathways.