Global Environment Facility (GEF) organized a one day event at UNCCD COP14 dedicated to its transformation change in food, urban, and energy systems. Such transformation requires investments with greater impact, integration, innovation, sustainability and scaling effects. The event highlighted the role of the Multiple Stakeholder Platforms (MSPs) in transformation agenda; business models for less footprints and higher productivity; ways for scaling, replication, and catalytic effects in GEF programs and projects, and importance of effective and sustainable stakeholder involvement for sustainability.
Starting with the strategic keynote speech delivered by the GEF CEO, Naoko Ishii, centred on these topics, business leaders, countries preventatives and key-stakeholders involved in GEF initiatives, shared their perspectives and experiences in various panels sessions.
The IFAD delegation at UNCCD COP14 led by Omar Rasha and the PRoDAF team from Niger attended the event and actively contributed to the discussions.
Regarding the role of the Multi-Stakeholder Platforms (MSPs), Jonky Tenou, Task Manager of the Resilient Food Systems programme, highlighted the IAP-FS where MSPs are playing a pivotal role in addressing complex challenges in transforming the agriculture sector for food security in sub-Saharan Africa. By bringing together different sectors and stakeholders from business, environment, agriculture spaces, the MSPs help promote policy integration and enhance sharing of experiences and knowledge that leads to more supportive policies and incentives for smallholder farming. Specific cases of the Upper Tana Nairobi water fund, and science and police interface platform that illustrate the critical role of the MSPs in addressing land degradation and promoting sustainable natural resources management were presented.
For the scaling and replication, the session started by Graciela Metternicht, member of the GEF STAP, provided conceptual definitions to set the discussion on scaling, distinguishing between scaling up (laws, policies, institutions), scaling out (replications and dissemination) and scaling deep (behavioural and social norms changes). The IFAD-supported project in Niger (PRoDAF), has been presented as a successful practice. Mamadou Traore Hadouna, the Coordinator of PRoDAF, shared the case of PRoDAF that started from a small project of US$15 million in two departments, then extended to 28 departments in four regions in 2015 and going to be scaled up to 35 departments in five regions for a total of US$330 million investments.
On the topic related to the sustainability, Jonky Tenou (panellist), built on the Resilient Food Systems programme strategy and approach and on the fact that all impacts at scale are not necessarily transformational, highlighted the importance to have both broad impact and long-term impact. He emphasized on having in place supportive policies, strong institutional frameworks and cooperation among all stakeholders.
The session with a focus on the private sector gathered leaders of major private sector actors (CEO of Livelihood fund, Syngenta, Jain irrigation) and manager of GEF-World Bank program supporting PPP on land restoration. Panellist's raised options to facilitate inclusive PPP. Livelihood funds notably mentioned less administrative process, result based payment, sustainable value chain, and carbon credit. Syngenta promoted the true cost initiative where a coalition of actors (including Olam, Nestle etc.) seeks to include externality costs in food price. LDN fund mentioned the added value of supporting eco-business partners who seek to engage smallholders and promote green development as they have the capacities to better access complex incentive mechanisms and markets.
During the final discussions, Rasha Omar, IFAD, highlighted that such discussions could learn from experience in India - to create mass movement building on disruptive innovations (e.g. using digital finance to channel benefits directly to urban poor); and to learn from the grassroots movement, for instance self-help groups which are a driving development force in India with now 55 million women members and contributing to the welfare of over 250 million household members.
In conclusion, while several initiatives have been presented during the event, the Resilient Food System program through its integrated and holistic approach, demonstrated potentialities and evidences to contribute to the transformation of agriculture sector in the durable manner. Key concluding messages emphasized the importance of investing in social and human capital and having champions to actually facilitate change; to support coalition of actors with strong policy environment to ensure farmers remain at the centre, to promote adaptive management and learning from failures.
Starting with the strategic keynote speech delivered by the GEF CEO, Naoko Ishii, centred on these topics, business leaders, countries preventatives and key-stakeholders involved in GEF initiatives, shared their perspectives and experiences in various panels sessions.
The IFAD delegation at UNCCD COP14 led by Omar Rasha and the PRoDAF team from Niger attended the event and actively contributed to the discussions.
Regarding the role of the Multi-Stakeholder Platforms (MSPs), Jonky Tenou, Task Manager of the Resilient Food Systems programme, highlighted the IAP-FS where MSPs are playing a pivotal role in addressing complex challenges in transforming the agriculture sector for food security in sub-Saharan Africa. By bringing together different sectors and stakeholders from business, environment, agriculture spaces, the MSPs help promote policy integration and enhance sharing of experiences and knowledge that leads to more supportive policies and incentives for smallholder farming. Specific cases of the Upper Tana Nairobi water fund, and science and police interface platform that illustrate the critical role of the MSPs in addressing land degradation and promoting sustainable natural resources management were presented.
For the scaling and replication, the session started by Graciela Metternicht, member of the GEF STAP, provided conceptual definitions to set the discussion on scaling, distinguishing between scaling up (laws, policies, institutions), scaling out (replications and dissemination) and scaling deep (behavioural and social norms changes). The IFAD-supported project in Niger (PRoDAF), has been presented as a successful practice. Mamadou Traore Hadouna, the Coordinator of PRoDAF, shared the case of PRoDAF that started from a small project of US$15 million in two departments, then extended to 28 departments in four regions in 2015 and going to be scaled up to 35 departments in five regions for a total of US$330 million investments.
On the topic related to the sustainability, Jonky Tenou (panellist), built on the Resilient Food Systems programme strategy and approach and on the fact that all impacts at scale are not necessarily transformational, highlighted the importance to have both broad impact and long-term impact. He emphasized on having in place supportive policies, strong institutional frameworks and cooperation among all stakeholders.
The session with a focus on the private sector gathered leaders of major private sector actors (CEO of Livelihood fund, Syngenta, Jain irrigation) and manager of GEF-World Bank program supporting PPP on land restoration. Panellist's raised options to facilitate inclusive PPP. Livelihood funds notably mentioned less administrative process, result based payment, sustainable value chain, and carbon credit. Syngenta promoted the true cost initiative where a coalition of actors (including Olam, Nestle etc.) seeks to include externality costs in food price. LDN fund mentioned the added value of supporting eco-business partners who seek to engage smallholders and promote green development as they have the capacities to better access complex incentive mechanisms and markets.
During the final discussions, Rasha Omar, IFAD, highlighted that such discussions could learn from experience in India - to create mass movement building on disruptive innovations (e.g. using digital finance to channel benefits directly to urban poor); and to learn from the grassroots movement, for instance self-help groups which are a driving development force in India with now 55 million women members and contributing to the welfare of over 250 million household members.
In conclusion, while several initiatives have been presented during the event, the Resilient Food System program through its integrated and holistic approach, demonstrated potentialities and evidences to contribute to the transformation of agriculture sector in the durable manner. Key concluding messages emphasized the importance of investing in social and human capital and having champions to actually facilitate change; to support coalition of actors with strong policy environment to ensure farmers remain at the centre, to promote adaptive management and learning from failures.
