This year, the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) launched an open, competitive Call for Proposals to provide grant funding to low-income countries and, for the first time, to Producer Organizations. This funding will support medium to long-term COVID-19 response efforts for a more resilient recovery of agriculture and food systems in a changing climate.
The Call attracted requests for approximately US$1 billion across more than 80 Country and Producer Organization-led submissions in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic – roughly four times the number of proposals typically received in previous years. However, only US$150 million in funding is available for this Call.
Photo: IFAD/Francesco Cabras
With global hunger and malnutrition on the rise, this Call shows unprecedented levels of demand for GAFSP support as one important source of funding for agricultural investment, suggesting urgent needs amongst the poorest countries and smallholder communities.
The GAFSP Steering Committee is expected to make funding allocation decisions in late 2021. Successful country-led projects will support investments in line with country-owned agricultural investment plans, while also identifying opportunities for private sector engagement. Successful Producer Organization-led projects will strengthen the institutional capacities of these organizations as key economic players in the value chain.
