Transforming our agricultural and food systems

For a world without hunger within the planet’s limitations, we need to transform our agricultural and food systems.  

 Agri-food systems are under pressure around the globe. By 2050, almost 10 billion people will need feeding, which means increased demand for foodstuffs and agricultural raw materials. The upshot: more has to be produced but with fewer resources.

Inefficient food production, processing and distribution systems, but also consumption patterns, pose a threat to food and nutrition security – especially in our partner countries. Moreover, according to the IPCC report, agricultural and food systems themselves account for up to 42% of global GHG emissions. At the same time, the resources that are available are being used poorly or even wasted.

A transformation of our agri-food systems aims to fulfil our need for nutrients and foodstuffs within our planet’s limitations and to build up resilient food systems, for instance by taking account of the principles of agroecology, embracing the circular economy and focusing on socio-economic objectives, such as decent jobs in the agri-food industry or equal participation of women and young people in value creation. In all of this, it is important to identify and leverage synergies and trade-offs.

Our approach:

• At global level
  The 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement and the Rio Conventions are our guiding compass. GIZ is assisting its partners in realising these strategies.
• Conservation of natural resources
  Food and nutrition security, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and ecosystem services such as carbon sinks or the conservation of biodiversity are only feasible if we safeguard our natural resources. This is why we support measures like soil rehabilitation.
• Creating an enabling environment
  New visions and enabling conditions that facilitate change are the bedrock of transformation. GIZ provides advice on social, economic and regulatory conditions that give transformation actors a reliable environment to put innovations into action. We are also involved in global and regional initiatives.
• We forge alliances
  Since transformation can only work if all players in the agri-food system are on board, we are helping to create a wide variety of networks. We work with state, civil society and private sector actors, often in multi-stakeholder partnerships, and cooperate with other development partners, such as the EU and UN organisations.
• Support for national actors
  To implement transformative measures, capacity needs to be built, in the form of knowledge, skills, organisational structures and institutional conditions. GIZ is assisting its partner countries in developing these capabilities, for example in the area of land law.
• Forward-looking incentives systems
  Financial incentives are an important tool for promoting transformation processes. GIZ offers guidance and pro-actively generates impetus through mechanisms such as climate financing schemes.