FINANCE FOR FOOD
The Challenge
Achieving Food Security and Nutrition (FSN) is a significant challenge for the developing world and critical to alleviating poverty.
Regional disparities remain strong and progress has been modest, in particular in Sub-Saharan Africa. The main challenges in many LDCs are i) the lack of capacities of local governments to integrate FSN concerns into planning and budgeting cycles, and the absence of inter-governmental transfer systems to fulfill this purpose, ii) the lack of financing mechanisms to increase public and private FSN investments that can fill the gap of local food systems, improve the local fiscal space and transform the local economy.
How We Are Helping?
Over the past few decades, UNCDF has developed tools and instruments that strengthen the role of local government and unlock domestic capital - public and private - for local economic development. These instruments help mobilize and leverage resources for investments in infrastructure, basic services delivery and entrepreneurship, with an emphasis on the transformative impact. Based on this receptacle, F4F promotes locally nurtured pipelines of investable projects and public investments with an impact on the Local Food System (LFS). The program addresses issues on the lack of access to basic services, public and private finance, skills and coordination of FSN at the local level. It shall provide solutions for local FSN in Africa and Asia by increasing gender-sensitive public, public-private and community investments to fill missing links in the LFS. Overall, F4F promotes soft and hard transformative FSN investments that retain value within the local space for sustainable economic growth in the LDCs.
What We Will Do Next?
To achieve effective food security interventions coordinated and facilitated through Local Government in LDCs, F4F aims to i) strengthen capacity of Local Governments to be able to assess the Local Food Systems and identify priorities of interventions, ii) support integration of relevant food security interventions based on the FSN pathways, in the Local Development Plans including design, implementation and monitor system, iii) to set a complete menu of financing mechanisms (Local Development Fund and Structured Project Finance) and investments by providing strategic financing in the form of grants, loans, guarantees, equity, and/or quasi-equity, as well as advisory services and capacity building support made available at local level and iv) to promote territorial and LFS approach within food security communities of practice as well as wider development community.
