About


Resilient Food Systems is committed to fostering sustainability and resilience for food security in sub-Saharan Africa.

Programme Goals




2.1 Million ha

under sustainable land management



2 Million

beneficiary households



1.1 Million ha

under improved production practices



59 Million MtCO2e

emissions avoided or sequestered

Background


The Global Environment Facility’s GEF2020 strategy emphasizes the need to address drivers of environmental degradation by supporting innovative and scalable activities on a broader scale. In order to test the delivery of more integrated approaches for addressing global environmental challenges, GEF financed three Integrated Approach Pilots.

Resilient Food Systems is the Integrated Approach Pilot that focuses on transformational change within African food systems.

How Resilient Food Systems works


12 Country Projects

The programme involves the collaboration of 12 sub-Saharan African countries — all facing the detrimental impacts of environmental degradation caused by unsustainable agricultural practices. Each project is designed to reflect the country’s unique context, while aligning with the broader aims and approaches of the Resilient Food Systems programme.

Explore our Country Projects

1 Regional Hub

All 12 country projects are connected by the Regional Hub, a cross-cutting unit whose core focus is to coordinate efforts across country projects, ensure cross-project learning and collaboration, and monitor and assess programmatic progress. The functions of the Regional Hub are implemented by a coalition of partner organisations who work with key stakeholders within each country project to build programmatic coherence and establish beneficial linkages.

Learn about the Regional Hub

Strong partnerships

The programme is implemented by a skilled network of partners, including GEF Implementing Agencies and Executing Partners, each responsible for overseeing the implementation of a country project or contributing to the objectives of the Regional Hub. All collaborations are jointly coordinated by GEF and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

Our Approach


Each country project is focused on tackling the major drivers of environmental degradation, loss of ecosystem services, as well as low crop and livestock productivity within a target landscape. By advancing a holistic approach to enhancing agricultural productivity in smallholder farming systems, the programme’s cross-cutting themes are mainstreamed throughout each project.

Within each country, GEF Implementing Agencies work closely with national government ministries and institutions to carry out RFS projects, building and complementing existing national efforts to address drivers of environmental degradation in order to achieve food security for smallholder farmers.

While designed and implemented within different contexts, each country project works toward similar objectives within key themes. These key themes are the building blocks of the integrated approach and enable programmatic synergies and collaborative learning.

Explore Key Themes

Resilient Food Systems aligns with global priorities


The programme is designed to contribute toward the long-term sustainability and resilience targets outlined within regional and global frameworks and conventions related to agricultural development, climate change, economic development, biodiversity and ecosystem health.

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