To transform the world’s agri-food systems by 2030, approximately $680 billion in funding is required each year, however, the effectiveness of international programmes will depend not only on the volume of funding, but also on farmers’ and agribusinesses’ access to finance, markets and economic incentives.
According to SEEDS, the issue of funding was discussed in Rome during the FAO Global Conference ‘Actions in One Health in Agrifood Systems’, which took place from 21 to 23 September and was dedicated to the implementation of the ‘One Health’ in agri-food systems.
According to FAO estimates, the annual funding requirement for the transformation of agri-food systems in low- and middle-income countries amounts to around $680 billion. Of this amount, approximately $425–426 billion should be allocated directly to investment, with a further $255 billion or so going towards social protection systems.
Ekaterina Zvereva, an international expert on sustainable agriculture and agri-food systems and founder of Sapienza.media, Ekaterina Zvereva, who took part in the conference, emphasised that the volume of international funding alone does not guarantee results if the resources do not reach the producers themselves.
“We can develop effective environmental and veterinary solutions, but they will not become widespread practice unless farmers have access to funding, markets and economic incentives to implement them,” she noted in a comment to SEEDS.
Rwanda was one example of effective fundraising. Around $25 million in funding from the Pandemic Fund was accompanied by the mobilisation of a further approximately $160 million in additional resources and related investments. The programme aims to strengthen epidemiological surveillance, early warning systems and coordination between human and animal health services. The FAO, WHO and UNICEF are involved in its implementation.
Programmes in Zimbabwe and Afghanistan were also discussed during the conference, where the One Health approach is being used to integrate veterinary safety, public health, food security and support for agricultural production. Participants noted that animal diseases, climate risks and water issues often extend beyond the borders of individual states and require regional investment programmes.
The reduction in international aid remains a separate issue. Representatives of the European Commission highlighted the need to involve the World Bank, the IFC, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and private capital more extensively in funding, as grant resources are insufficient for a large-scale transformation of the agricultural sector.
For Ukraine, these approaches are of particular importance given the need to simultaneously restore agricultural production, infrastructure, the veterinary system and water resources, whilst bringing the sector into line with EU standards.
According to Zvereva, international programmes should be accessible not only to large institutions, but also directly to agricultural enterprises, cooperatives and small-scale producers. In her view, farmers should be involved in the development of such programmes right from the planning stage, as they are best placed to assess the real cost of introducing new technologies and the economic risks to their farms.
The FAO also notes that without the involvement of the private sector, financial institutions and producers themselves, it will be impossible to overcome the global funding shortfall in agri-food systems.
Source: SEEDS — ‘$680 billion for the transformation of agri-food systems’