Recent FAO evaluation highlights the role of GEF in programmes addressing integrated natural resource management for sustainable food and agriculture systems

In November 2018, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has released an evaluation of its contributions to integrated natural resource management for sustainable agriculture.

The evaluation was global in scope and examined FAO's efforts in promoting integrated approaches for making agriculture, forestry and fisheries more productive and sustainable. The evaluation underscored that the Sustainable Food and Agriculture (SFA) principles, developed by FAO, have been instrumental in integrating key concepts of agricultural sustainability into FAO technical and programmatic work.

The evaluation found that integration of climate change considerations in FAO's programmatic work, the organization contributes to clarify the link between sustainable agriculture and climate change mitigation and adaptation at the global, regional and national levels. In this regard, the evaluation underscored that FAO's ability to access Global Environment Facility (GEF) funding has contributed to its role as a facilitator of cross-sectoral policy discussions and enabled FAO to design and implement various projects tackling sustainable production, climate change and environmental protection. At the time of the evaluation GEF was FAO's third biggest resource partner with an estimated 188 projects (USD 732 million), including more than 100 projects under execution.

The evaluation also noted FAO's contributions to ensuring the consideration of agricultural issues in (Intended) Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), including by helping countries to formulate their NDCs. Priorities of the donors and the requirements of the global financing instruments (mainly GEF and GCF) represented a further guiding force in this respect.

Highlighting FAO's major strengths in promoting sustainable food and agriculture principles, the evaluation also underscored the need to better integrate analysis of potential trade-offs between sustainability and productivity in its programmes, and strengthen global partnerships and alliances towards achievement of sustainable food and agriculture.

A brief summary of the evaluation and the full evaluation report are available through this link: http://www.fao.org/evaluation/evaluation-digest/evaluations-detail/en/c/1159109/