Food and Agriculture for Sustainable Transformation (FAST) Partnership Ministerial Meeting

The Food and Agriculture for Sustainable Transformation (FAST) Partnership, launched at COP 27, is a multi-stakeholder partnership that aims to accelerate the transformation of agrifood systems globally and provide space for partners to drive effective actions through collaboration and initiatives. This event showcased the milestones and achievements of the Partnership and its member countries in ensuring a sustainable and resilient food and agriculture sector.

Kaveh Zahedi, Director, Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), moderated the event. He expressed concerns about the “downward trajectory” of finance allocated to the food and agriculture sector. He commended the creation of FAST Partnership, which supports countries in building the resilience and sustainability of their agrifood systems.

In opening remarks, Majnun Mammadov, Minister of Agriculture, Azerbaijan, lauded the FAST Partnership as a critical platform for helping countries build a “unified approach” to addressing food security and mobilizing finances for smallholder farmers. Recognizing the need to create “synergies across nations,” he commended the launch of the Baku Harmoniya Climate Initiative for Farmers (Harmoniya Initiative) as an inclusive platform that enables collaboration on agricultural initiatives and makes climate finance more accessible to farmers. Through the FAST Partnership and the Harmoniya Initiative, he added, a sustainable and resilient agricultural sector can be created.

Adel Abdelazeem, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Agriculture, Egypt, and COP 27 Presidency, commended the evolution of the FAST Partnership from its early beginnings at COP 27 to its growth at COP 29. Noting that finance is “at the heart” of the FAST Partnership, he encouraged further support and the creation of new mechanisms to enable small scale farmers to benefit.

Zak Bleicher, Senior Advisor on Food Systems, COP 28 Presidency, stressed the need for financial support in the agricultural sector, lamenting that “little to no investment” is allocated to address the devastating impact of climate change on small farmers, as “more money is spent on debt-servicing.” He thanked Parties for their support of the COP28 UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action, as it continues to foster new alliances and investment support.

Mário Mottin, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Brazil, called for “fostering science-based, region-specific, and people-centered policies” to ensure the sustainability and resilience of agrifood systems globally.

Martial Bernoux, FAO, reported on the milestones and key achievements of the FAST Partnership, which include: development of initiatives mapping; development of engagement strategies; launch of trainings on how to access Global Environment Facility (GEF) and Global Climate Fund (GCF) funds; and meetings with FAST Partnership members in different fora.

Claudia Müller, Parliamentary State Secretary, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Germany, lauded the FAST Partnership for its effective work at the nexus of climate change and finance. She stressed the vital role of food and agriculture in solutions to the climate crisis, and encouraged Parties to put it at the top of their political agenda in COP 29.

Ann Vaughan, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Resilience, Environment, and Food Security (REFS), US Agency for International Development  (USAID​​​​​)​​, announced that the US joined the FAST Partnership at COP 29 and is committed to: providing financial support; investing in innovation and research and development; and advancing climate-smart agriculture.

Stuart Horne, Climate Change Ambassador, New Zealand, shared New Zealand’s work on improving and strengthening its agricultural sector, which includes the launch of the Alliance for the Climate-Dialogue on Climate and Agriculture between New Zealand and Germany (Agri-DENZ project) and an investment of NZD 400 million in research and development over the next four years. This investment, he said, aims to support farmers in reducing emissions by accelerating the use of tools and technologies.

Fernando Mattos Costa, Minister of Livestock Agriculture and Fisheries, Uruguay, stressed the need to make financial resources readily available for the agricultural sector as funds are insufficient to address the impact of climate change in Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Prosper Dodiko, Minister of Environment, Agriculture and Livestock, Burundi, commended the FAST Partnership’s initiative to mobilize much needed resources for the region, noting that financing is required to support the agricultural sector across the whole value chain.

Leila Lora-Santos, Minister of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippines, highlighted the growing adaptation gap and stressed the urgency of fostering collaborative partnerships and support to scale up innovation of funds. FAST Partnership’s structure, she added, presents a good opportunity to mobilize investments on agriculture and provides support for farmers, particularly women farmers.

Yermek Kenzhekhanuly, Vice-Minister of Agriculture, Kazakhstan, noted the need to improve access to financing for vulnerable farmers in rural areas, citing collaboration with multiregional development banks and provision of international grants and investments as solutions.

Paul Gulleik Larsen, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway, announced that Norway joined the FAST Partnership at COP 29 and pointed to the Partnership’s complementary work with the Alliance of Champions for Food Systems Transformation, as both focus on mobilizing resources and growing more sustainable food without compromising biodiversity and emissions.

Juan Lucas Restrepo, Director General, Alliance of Biodiversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), and CGIAR Global Leadership Team, stressed the importance of research in leveraging sustainable finance innovation and in de-risking technology solutions to address food production issues in the face of climate change.

Ugochi Daniels, Deputy Director-General for Operations, International Organization for Migration (IOM), discussed how migration can be part of addressing climate change, from investing in “green skills,” where relevant skills can contribute to a green transition elsewhere, to establishing migration pathways that safeguard peoples’ homes and livelihoods.

Juan Pablo Hoffmaister, Assistant Vice-President, Environmental Defense Fund, underscored that transformation of agriculture can only happen by “working in tandem” with governments, financial institutions, and farmers on food security goals.

Belén Citoler, Director, World Rural Forum (WRF), pointed out that “family farmers are at the frontline of agriculture” but only receive less than 0.3% of climate finance. She stated the need to improve direct access to finance for family farmers and tailor fit the funds to their needs.

Noting that the youth are “change makers” of today, Anchal Gautam, co-representative of YOUNGO to the FAST Partnership, stated that, in order to make agriculture sustainable, priority should be given to: youth-driven projects, upskilling youth; youth involvement in policy-making; and development of youth-led solutions.

Feysal Ali, Ministry of Livestock, Forestry, and Range, Somalia, stated that GCF funding for Somalia will help the country address the impacts of climate change in sectors such as agriculture and water. He emphasized the need for finance, knowledge sharing, and capacity building.

Dany El-Obeid, University of Lebanon, underscored the role of universities in shaping agrifood systems through education, research, and community engagement. He emphasized the importance of research in innovating solutions and advancing sustainable, inclusive practices in the agricultural sector.

Fabio Niespolo, Emerging Ag, stated that the private sector stands in partnership with the food and agriculture sector, citing public-private partnerships and streamlining investments as ways to involve the private sector.

In closing remarks, Leyla Jabbarli-Mitova, Ministry of Agriculture, Azerbaijan, emphasized how the discussion vividly underscored the urgent need for climate finance and the imperative to "bridge the gap" between supporting vulnerable populations and building resilient food systems. She highlighted the dual focus on increasing both the quantity and quality of climate finance, ensuring it reaches "those who need it the most." Jabbarli-Mitova also stressed the importance of fostering collaboration that extends "beyond these walls" to drive meaningful and inclusive action.

Organizer: FAO

Contact: Martial Bernoux, FAO I Martial.Bernoux@fao.org; Fast Partnership I FAST-Partnership@fao.org

Website: https://www.fao.org/food-agriculture-sustainable-transformation-partnership/en