The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has approved $68 million in funding, with the backing of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). This financial boost will help 22 countries, including key African nations, address pressing environmental challenges such as biodiversity loss, climate change, land degradation, pollution, and groundwater management.
The approved projects, which are backed by the GEF’s Trust Fund, Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), and Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF), are expected to unlock an additional $273 million in co-financing.
These projects aim to support global goals for biodiversity conservation, water management, and food system transformation in line with sustainable agricultural practices.
Agrifood systems at the forefront
“The approval of this funding marks the end of a pivotal year for agrifood systems, with global environmental summits emphasising the critical need for finance to drive transformation,” said QU Dongyu, Director-General of FAO.
“These projects will help to reshape the way food, fuel, and fiber are produced, directly addressing global environmental crises while enhancing agricultural and environmental sector coherence.”
Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, CEO of GEF, echoed this sentiment, emphasising the importance of communication and impact measurement for the success of these projects. “These initiatives will not only boost food security and sustainable livelihoods but also empower communities to tackle the twin challenges of environmental degradation and poverty,” he said.
Key projects in Africa and beyond
One of the highlights of the funding is a $19 million allocation for the FAO’s Small Grants Programme, which will support civil society organisations and community-based groups in designing and implementing locally-led environmental initiatives.
This will benefit smallholder farmers, women, Indigenous Peoples, and youth across 14 countries, including Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan. The initiative aims to restore 20,000 hectares of land, improve practices over 350,000 hectares, and directly impact the lives of 45,000 people.
In Kenya and Tanzania, a regional project will receive $7.8 million to enhance water security and improve climate resilience in the Mount Kilimanjaro region, benefiting over 100,000 people.
The project will focus on conserving 40,000 hectares of cloud forest and ensuring sustainable groundwater use.
Liberia is also set to benefit from a $5.1 million project to address land degradation through sustainable rice production practices. The initiative will restore 25,000 hectares of land and help improve soil health across 100,000 hectares, mitigating over one million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
In Gambia, a $9.6 million project will focus on reducing harmful agrochemical use in rice, millet, and maize production. Through the Financing Agrochemical Reduction and Management Plus Program (FARM+),
Gambia will transition to climate-resilient, agroecological farming practices, benefiting 240,000 people across the country. This project is a vital step toward promoting sustainable farming while reducing the environmental footprint of agricultural activities.
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