The Government of Cameroon, with support from the Joint SDG Fund and the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, and in partnership with the United Nations system today officially launched the CONVERGEFOOD Joint Programme – an integrated initiative designed to strengthen agricultural value chains, expand access to finance, and connect smallholder farmers and agri-enterprises to reliable and inclusive markets, particularly in underserved and last-mile areas. Launched alongside the implementation phase of the EU-funded Scalable Success Model (SSM) project, this marks a significant step forward in accelerating food systems transformation in the country.

Led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER), the initiative is coordinated by the Food Systems National Convenor, with strategic guidance from the United Nations Resident Coordinator's Office. It is jointly implemented by the World Food Programme (WFP), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF). Three other UN agencies have already expressed interest in joining phase II, starting next year 2027. That renders this programme a whole-of-UN package of support to the Government, making systemic approaches to food systems a reality and avoiding siloed programmes or single-ministry interventions.

Photo: WFP/Jordan Onana.

Cameroon continues to face significant food security challenges with 3.3 million people experiencing acute food insecurity, particularly in the Far North, North and East regions. In the most affected areas, up to 64 percent of households are severely food insecure, often exhausting their food stocks in less than one month.

These pressures are compounded by climate shocks, such as recent droughts and floods affecting several regions, economic constraints, and limited access to markets and finance. The CONVERGEFOOD Joint Programme responds to this urgent context by translating national commitment into concrete action. It is the first of the bankable projects presented by the National Convenor that has received funds.

“This joint programme demonstrates how the United Nations system delivers as one to support Cameroon’s national development priorities,” said Dr. Issa Sanogo, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Cameroon. “By bringing together expertise across agencies and strengthening partnerships with the government, financial institutions and development partners, we are catalyzing investments and accelerating progress toward resilient and inclusive food systems.”

Government leadership remains central to this effort, highlighting that food systems transformation extends beyond a single ministry and requires coordinated action across sectors under a shared set of priorities, as outlined in Cameroon’s Convergence Action Blueprint.

“The Government of Cameroon is committed to transforming its food systems to ensure food security, strengthen resilience, and create economic opportunities for our population, particularly women and youth in rural areas" said Gabriel Mbairobe, Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER). "Through the CONVERGEFOOD Joint Programme, we are accelerating the implementation of our national roadmap by aligning investments, de-risking the private sector financial sector, strengthening value chains for local markets and import substitution, and supporting smallholder producers across the country.”

Anchored in Cameroon's Food Systems Transformation Roadmap and the Convergence Action Blueprint, the programme aligns priorities in food, climate, nutrition, and biodiversity, while also contributing to national climate commitments. It directly advances the three priorities identified in 2025 Convergence Action Blueprint: rice value chains, agroecological production of staples and livestock, and import substitution.

“Food systems transformation is central to Cameroon’s climate action agenda,” said Pierre Hélé, Minister of the Ministry of Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development (MINEPDED). “This initiative strengthens our capacity to promote climate-resilient agriculture and livestock, protect biodiversity and support sustainable livelihoods for communities. It fulfils Cameroon’s commitments and priorities included in the National Adaptation Plan, the Nationally-Determined Contribution and the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan presented in COP30.”

The initiative will initially focus on the Far North, Adamawa, and East regions, targeting four priority value chains: rice, cassava, eggs, and dairy products. Through a coordinated and multisectoral approach, it will strengthen governance systems, improve food processing and safety infrastructure, promote climate-smart and agroecological production practices, and expand income and employment opportunities for smallholder farmers, women, and young people.

A key feature of CONVERGEFOOD is its focus on mobilizing and de-risking private sector investment through a Blended Finance Mechanism, including a Guarantee Fund and a Disbursement Fund. This mechanism aims to increase financial flows to cooperatives and small and medium enterprises across the four priority value chains. This component is led by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) during the second phase of the project, starting in 2027, with funding provided by the Government of Cameroon through a loan from the Islamic Development Bank under the Global Flagship Initiative for Food Security.

During an early presentation of this project at the UN General Assembly side event in New York (September 2025), the UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed described CONVERGEFOOD as “UN reform in action, delivering as one and aligning mandates… more than coordination: it is a catalyst for action”.

As a central pillar of international efforts to accelerate food systems transformation, the Global Flagship Initiative for Food Security supports countries in developing investment-ready pipelines, mobilising blended finance at scale, and aligning development partners around nationally led priorities. Cameroon represents the first country-level implementations of this approach, demonstrating how coordinated platforms can translate national strategies into large-scale, investable programmes.

“The Global Flagship Initiative is about moving from strategy to investment and from commitment to implementation,” said Dr. Conrad Rein, Secretary-General of the Initiative. “Cameroon is demonstrating how country-led platforms can unlock coordinated financing and deliver tangible results on the ground. The next step is to replicate and scale this model across other countries, adapting it to national contexts while maintaining the same level of ambition and partnership.”

Moreover, the European Union, through its support for the SSM project, also aligns their support to Cameroon food systems with the ConvergeFood initiative, contributing to strengthening institutional coordination and enabling the scaling up of food systems transformation efforts.

“The European Union is proud to support Cameroon in advancing sustainable and inclusive food systems,” said Jean-Marc Châtaigner, Ambassador of the European Union Delegation to Cameroon. “Through the Scalable Success Model, we are helping to unlock investments, strengthen institutions, and support initiatives that deliver tangible benefits for rural communities.”

The launch event brought together senior representatives from government ministries, development partners, financial institutions, cooperatives, and private sector actors, reinforcing a shared commitment to coordinated action and investment. The programme is expected to catalyze additional private investments for priority value chains, including mobilizing further financing to scale up support to cooperatives and agri-enterprises across the country. It aims to contribute to sustainable economic growth, improved food security, and increased resilience to climate shocks.