Thematic Areas – SDG 2 Roadmap

Strategic Initiative Agenda 2030

By facilitating direct exchange and information sharing, the Platform continues to enable member states to coordinate and contribute to higher level of policy coherence. The Platform’s Strategic Initiative Agenda 2030 addresses the new dimensions of development cooperation. However, not every development issue can be a policy priority, thus the ARD community needs to set its focus whilst maintaining a comprehensive approach to sustainable development of the rural space.

Thematic Areas – SDG 2 Roadmap

Strategic Initiative Agenda 2030

By facilitating direct exchange and information sharing, the Platform continues to enable member states to coordinate and contribute to higher level of policy coherence. The Platform’s Strategic Initiative Agenda 2030 addresses the new dimensions of development cooperation. However, not every development issue can be a policy priority, thus the ARD community needs to set its focus whilst maintaining a comprehensive approach to sustainable development of the rural space.

In parallel to the changes in the international development agenda, a number of donor agencies have already changed their focus and policy priorities leading towards more investments into trade and inclusive agribusiness as well as adaptation to climate change. At the same time, existing Platform work streams like the Global Donor Working Group on Land governance have been instrumental in the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Forests and Fisheries (VGGT) and making sure that secured tenure rights were part of the SDGs. Changing the policy focus also means keeping abreast of issues in rural development. For example, in response to our members’ policy agendas, the Platform’s Annual General Assembly in 2018 focused on youth under the title “Young and Ready to move: Empowering the New Generation in the Rural Space.” And in the area of finance, the Finance for Development agenda talks about ‘blended finance’ and SAFIN, Smallholder and Agri-SME Finance and Investment Network approaches its fourth of existence.

Over the years, encouraging initiatives like the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) have seen African heads of state commit to 7 declarations on accelerated agricultural growth and transformation for shared prosperity and improved livelihoods, including a commitment to spend at least 10% of their public budgets for ARD. The second CAADP biennial review in 2020 documents the progress in the implementation through the Malabo Declaration (see link below). The donor communities have fully supported such initiatives, however, the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report in 2019 (see link below) contains evidence signalling a rise in world hunger for the third year in a row after a previous trend of prolonged decline. In 2018, the number of undernourished people is estimated to be more than 821 million – around one out of every nine people in the world. The future holds challenging times for ARD, now even more so with the current corona virus pandemic, mid- and long-term effects are expected; the Platform membership will pro-actively strive to keep food security and rural transformation at the top of the policy priorities of development.

ARD & the SDGs

A review of all 17 SDGs and 169 targets suggests that agriculture and rural development (ARD) provides a primary entry point for achieving.

  • SDG1 – end poverty in all forms everywhere

  • SDG5 – achieve gender equality

  • SDG 8 – promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth

  • SDG10 – reduce inequality within and among countries

  • SDG 13 – take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

  • SDG15 – protect, restore and promote sustainable ecosystems

Background

The Global Donor Platform was established in 2003, following a considerable decrease in ODA expenditure for agriculture and rural development in the 1990’s. The Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness of 2005 was the central agreement for the Platform to advocate for increased public spending by developing countries, donor and private sector investments in agriculture and rural development (ARD) under the leadership of developing countries, both governments and civil society. The Accra Action Agenda in 2008 and Busan agreement in 2014 on the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation have followed.

In 2015 the Global Donor Platform launched its Strategic Initiative Agenda 2030 with an analysis of the SDGs for rural transformation (see link below, John Barrett, 2015) and discussions on donor engagement. These led to the conclusion that the Platform’s work needs to address the political changes in donors’ priorities.

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CONTACT | CHAIR

Ammad Bahalim

Senior Program Officer in Agricultural Development, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation