These included plenary sessions on advancing food security and nutrition through improved governance of food and agriculture, side-events on topics such as “Blended Finance and Impact Measurement in Agri-food Systems” (SE26) and “Aligning multilateral, public and private investments for transforming agri-food systems” (SE32) which bring research, innovation and investment together.
Extracts of the programme
Organizers: Switzerland SWISSAID European Union (European Commission – DG INTPA) International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM-Bari)
In the face of climate change, biodiversity loss, rising hunger and malnutrition, transforming current unsustainable food systems towards resilience, sustainability, and equity is imperative.
This side event explores how Neglected and Underutilized Species (NUS) and agroecology contribute to this transformation.
Drawing on concrete experiences from CROPS4HD (India, Niger, Chad, Tanzania) and SUSTLIVES (Burkina Faso, Niger), the event highlighted diverse approaches—from strengthened farmer seed systems and increased crop diversity to healthy product development, market access, and consumer behaviour change—all while empowering women and youth.
Panelists representing governments, farmers, civil society, research, and UN organisations will share lessons learned, addressed challenges, and discussed how these experiences inform a new multi-stakeholder initiative to scale NUS and agroecology in Sub-Saharan Africa.
22/10 Side event: Investing in the future: Building partnerships and strengthening financing for healthier School Meals Programmes
By sharing best practices with regards to financing and collaboration as well as discussing enabling environments with a child-centered approach, the event highlighted how school meals can become a driver of agrifood resilience, and access to affordable healthy diets.
- The Sustainable School Feeding Network (RAES), led by Brazil-FAO cooperation, supports 18 LAC countries to enhance their SFP through dialogue, policy development, nutrition standards and public procurement from family farming. While financing is one key component, knowledge and understanding of the enabling environment, nutrition, local food preferences and local partnership are also pivotal for scaling up the programmes.
- The School Meals Coalition, with over 100 members, fosters global collaboration to ensure every child receives a healthy school meal by 2030. Its Sustainable Financing Initiative builds evidence and provides technical assistance to boost domestic investment.
23/10 
Side event: Blended Finance and Impact Measurement in Agrifood Systems: The Catalytic Capital Framework
The thematic Working Group on Sustainable/Blended Finance for Food Systems was established in April 2024 by the GDPRD. It brings together representatives from donor organizations, philanthropies, public funds and foundations to explore innovative financing approaches aimed at increasing the impact of donor and public funds on food systems.
This session presented the work being done as the group’s first initiative, to standardize the assessment of additionality and impact in agri-SME blended finance through a Catalytic Capital Framework. Supported by Canada, Norway, Switzerland, the UK and the US, and led by the Agri-SME Learning Collective, the framework aims to enhance decision-making, accountability and collaboration by providing a common language for donors, intermediaries and policymakers.
The session discussed the challenges in measuring and standardizing the impact of blended finance instruments across impact investors and donors. It showcased how the framework can guide catalytic capital deployment, strengthen impact measurement, and inform policies that promote food security and sustainable agricultural investment. By standardizing assessments of impact and additionality, the framework aligns with CFS’s mission to enhance inclusive, sustainable financing.
- Moderator: Jim Woodhill (Senior Advisor, Global Donor Platform for Rural Development – GDPRD)
- Corinna Hawkes (Director, Division of Agrifood Systems & Food Safety, FAO)
- Maurizio Navarra (Senior Partnership Officer, IFAD; Secretariat Coordinator, GDPRD)
23/10 Agroecology as a transformative pathway towards sustainable food systems: Scaling investments, policies and practices
This side-event discussed the vital importance of financing agroecological transformations aligned with human rights principles, through democratically-created, transparent and accountable mechanisms that are co-created with rights-holders /food provisioners, recognizing that at least a tenfold increase in current annual philanthropic, public, and private investments will be necessary to support a transition to agroecology and regenerative approaches.
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