The Value of Adopting a Systems Approach for Agrifood Finance

20 January 2026. Webinar: The Value of Adopting a Systems Approach for Agrifood Finance

Finance and investment play a critical role in driving the shift from fragmentation toward unlocking and maximizing long-term impact. This conversation focused on how we can think, work and act differently to embed a systems approach into finance and investment for agrifood systems transformation – exploring elements such as flexibility and the catalytic potential of (public) financing, leveraging entry points, and creating financial incentives for system-wide action and alignment.

Speakers

• Corinna Hawkes (Director, Agrifood Systems and Food Safety Division, FAO) 
• Jim Woodhill (Senior Advisor, GDPRD)

The discussion was informed by two key references:

The FAO report “Transforming Food and Agriculture through a Systems Approach”

• Adopt systems thinking. Understand agrifood systems as interconnected whole systems, not isolated parts.
• Build and use diverse systems knowledge. Leverage evidence across sectors to identify root causes and anticipate impacts.
• Strengthen systems governance. Promote coordination among actors and sectors, addressing power imbalances and supporting equitable outcomes.
• Align actions for systems doing. Ensure programmes, policies and investments are coherent, coordinated, and mutually reinforcing.
• Increase systems investment. Shift financing toward long-term, integrated investments that support whole-system outcomes rather than narrow objectives.
• Embed systems learning. Monitor and adapt strategies over time, incorporating learning from practice into future planning.

The GDPRD White Paper "Financing Agrifood Systems for People, Planet and Prosperity”

This report identified six priority action areas:

1. Ensure the multilateral system remains a foundation for global public goods. Strengthen and coordinate global institutions to support resilience, crisis response, and systemic investment.
2. Accelerate foundational reforms and policy shifts. Reform national policies, financial regulations, trade systems, and subsidies to unlock investment incentives.
3. Expand and coordinate innovative financing mechanisms. Develop and scale blended finance, guarantee schemes and other risk-mitigation tools to attract private capital.
4. Harness innovations and technology for inclusive solutions. Use digital technologies (e.g., AI, financial platforms) to broaden access and lower transaction costs, especially for small producers.
5. Measure what matters — improve data and evidence. Generate and use better metrics on financing flows, outcomes, and risks to guide investment decisions.
6. Broker collaborative agrifood financing agreements. Foster voluntary frameworks and partnerships that align public and private actors around shared investment priorities.

Related: An interview with Corinna Hawkes