The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the Global Flagship Initiative for Food Security (GFIFS) have signed a Statement of Intent to collaborate on innovative financing solutions aimed at building equitable and sustainable food systems across Africa.
The partnership will leverage public capital to mobilize private investment, breaking barriers to financing in high-risk regions such as the Sahel and the Horn of Africa. By combining UNCDF’s expertise in de-risking instruments and mobilizing private finance with GFIFS’s innovation-driven approach, the initiative aims to accelerate resilient agricultural development and empower smallholder farmers.
Pradeep Kurukulasuriya, Executive Secretary of UNCDF, emphasized: “Public money alone isn’t sufficient to finance the innovation needed to build resilient food systems. By deploying derisking mechanisms and innovative financial structures, we can create new pathways for private capital to fuel sustainable agriculture across Africa.”
Dr. Conrad Rein, Secretary of GFIFS, highlighted the potential for scalable impact: “This collaboration enhances our ability to strategically leverage finance, bringing lasting change across African food systems.”
Regional and global partners, including the IGAD Secretariat, Crop Trust, and AGFUND, welcomed the initiative, underscoring its role in boosting farmer access to quality seeds, knowledge, capital, and markets, while improving climate resilience and accelerating food security.
Deputy UN Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed praised the partnership as a milestone for driving innovation, investment, and collaboration to achieve sustainable, resilient, and productive food systems at scale.
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