Donor Coordination for Food Systems Transformation: A Forward Agenda

27 June 2023

Tuesday 27 June 2023 | 10:00-18:30 CET | IFAD HQ, ROME, ITALY and on ZOOM

For more information, contact the GDPRD Secretariat

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This high-level dialogue is the culminating event of the GDPRD’s workstream on Country Level Donor Coordination for Food Systems Transformation, initiated in July 2022. The workstream objective is to support donors and their partners with practical guidance on how to improve coordination and alignment, particularly at the country level.

The discussions from this event, together with a series of key informant interviews with experts and practitioners, a literature review and analysis of existing donor coordination efforts and practices, will feed into a final report that will provide a review and guidance on good practices for enhancing donor coordination for food systems transformation and rural development.

To help drive a future agenda for development partner coordination, the GDPRD, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the European Commission are convening a one-day high-level dialogue bringing together ministerial and senior representatives from partner country governments, donors, and international institutions to explore:

  • The challenges that countries face in addressing national pathways for food systems transformation

  • The ways in which donors and other development partners can better coordinate their assistance to support food systems transformation in countries

  • Viable practices and approaches for coordination at a country level

  • The enhanced coordination needed at global and regional levels to address the twin challenges of responding to food crises and building long-term resilience.

Background and rationale

Globally, countries are grappling with rising food, fertilizer, and fuel prices, and increasing food insecurity, brought on by the escalating impacts of climate change, conflict, and Covid-19.

The disruption of eco-systems, agri-food production systems and value chains are causing an unprecedented rise in global hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and distress migration. In the future, extreme weather, geo-political instability, and pest and disease outbreaks are likely to increase, exacerbating the risk of food crises.

In this context, there has never been a greater need for coordinated donor investments and collaboration that align with partner country needs and priorities. However, emerging crises, pressure on resources and weakening multi-lateral cooperation combine to increase the challenges for effective donor coordination.
The coming years are likely to see a critical need for balancing short-term crisis response with longer-term development to create food systems for the future that can ensure security and be resilient to the impacts of climate change, growing food demands and market disruptions. Increasingly scarce donor resources will need to optimize their catalytic potential with greater policy coherence and coordination between development partners and partner countries.

Tentative Agenda
10:00 – 10:05 Welcome
10:05 – 10:15 Interactive Session
10:15 – 10:30 Keynote Address
10:30 – 10:45 Insights from high-level interviews
10:45 – 12:00 High-level conversational panel
12:00 – 12:45 Q&A session
12:45 – 14:00 Lunch
14:00 – 14:45 Plenary presentations on thematic challenges for:
– Data
– Finance
– Policy
– Long-term resilience
– Crisis response
14:45 – 16:45 Breakout roundtables: implications for country level collaboration, based on thematic challenges
In-room coffee break at 15:45
16:45 – 17:30 Reporting back on roundtables
17:30 – 18:15 Directions and forward agenda
18:15 – 18:30 Closing reflections and wrap-up
18:30 End and Aperitivo

This is a hybrid (in-person and virtual) by invitation-only event. Contact the GDPRD Secretariat for more information.

Links

Concept Note