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GDPRD White Paper
The Global Donor Platform for Rural Development (GDPRD) will hold an official virtual side event at the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) to facilitate a strategic dialogue on financing agrifood systems transformation.
The side event, titled “Financing Agrifood Systems for People, Planet and Prosperity: Towards a new pact for mobilizing capital, reforming systems, and driving transformation at scale,” will take place on Monday, 30 June 2025, from 14:30 to 16:00 (CEST). Participation will be fully virtual.
The event will present the new GDPRD White Paper outlining a bold yet practical agenda for mobilizing capital and transforming agrifood systems at scale.
| Provisional agenda | |
|---|---|
| 14:30 – 14:35 | Welcome and introduction |
| 14:35 – 14:45 | Presentation of the GDPRD White Paper
Jim Woodhill, GDPRD Senior Advisor |
| 14:45 – 15:40 | Panel Discussion – includes inputs by HLAG members and presentation of scalable solutions
(Speakers in alphabetical order)
Alice Ruhweza, President, AGRA
Chris Isaac, Chief Investment Officer, AgDevCo
Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)
Maximo Torero Cullen, Chief Economist, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Roel Messie, Chief Investment Officer, IDH Investment Management
Ron Hartman, Director, Global Engagement, Partnership and Resource Mobilization Division, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) |
| 15:40 – 15:55 | Audience Q&A – moderated by Jim Woodhill |
| 15:55 – 16:00 | Closing
Maurizio Navarra, GDPRD Secretariat Coordinator |
Transforming agrifood systems is one of the smartest investments the world can make for prosperity, security, sustainability and resilience. The opportunity is immense: Investing in better-functioning agrifood systems is not only a moral imperative; it also delivers strong economic and social returns for governments, investors, businesses and communities.
Better agrifood systems are the foundation of national security, economic growth and human development. They are key levers for healthier populations, more inclusive economies, political stability, employment and global competitiveness – especially for countries most affected by climate shocks, food insecurity and economic exclusion.
The side event will:
The GDPRD, under the guidance of a High-Level Advisory Group (HLAG) [1], has prepared a White Paper offering strategic guidance on financing food systems transformation and rural revitalization. The White Paper makes a compelling economic and development case for scaling up investment in agrifood systems and highlights the need for more strategic and catalytic use of public resources to mobilize private capital, philanthropic funds, and other innovative financing streams.
Register now to join the side event. Feel free to share this event with colleagues and wider networks.
[1] The High-Level Advisory Group (HLAG) is composed of: Federica Diamanti, Associate Vice-President, External Relations Department, International Fund for Agricultural Development (Co-Chair); Leonard Mizzi, Head of Unit, Sustainable Agri-Food Systems and Fisheries, Directorate-General for International Partnerships, European Commission (Co-Chair); Nikita Eriksen-Hamel, Deputy Director, Food Systems Practice, Global Affairs Canada; Marianne Grosclaude, Lead Agriculture Economist, World Bank; Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition; Cornelia Hett, Deputy Head of Section, Health and Food Systems, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation; Arif Husain, Chief Economist, United Nations World Food Programme; Alice Ruhweza, President, AGRA; Maximo Torero-Cullen, Chief Economist, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; Wilma Van Esch, Head of Food Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands; Virginia Villar Arribas, Deputy Director, Private Sector Partnerships, United Nations World Food Programme. The White Paper development has been approved by the Board of the GDPRD. It draws on recent reports on the financing of agrifood systems transformation and on interviews with key informants.
