Page 4 - AWA Vol.42-No.5 issue

From record growth to impact: FAO welcomes ambitious
new funding cycle of Global Environment Facility

On World Environment Day, the Food and Agriculture climate, protecting food security, reducing emissions,
Organization of the United Nations (FAO) welcomed the and halting biodiversity loss and land degradation,” said
Ninth Replenishment of the Global Environment Facility FAO Deputy Director-General and Director of Cabinet
(GEF 9), underscoring the opportunity to upscale agri- Godfrey Magwenzi. “Looking forward to GEF-9, we have
culture and food systems solutions for biodiversity, cli- an opportunity to go further and connect across sectors,
mate, land, pollution, and water management. With initial align policies across environmental, agricultural and eco-
pledges of $3.9 billion for the four-year cycle, GEF-9 will nomic fronts, and bring new partners and private invest-
help finance initiatives to help countries meet their envi- ment where they can make a difference.”
ronmental commitments through inclusive, resilient and Running from 2026 to 2030, GEF-9 will fund integrated
sustainable agrifood systems. solutions to environmental challenges, including global
The GEF-9 Replenishment was approved during the programs on food systems, drylands and drought man-
Eighth GEF Assembly in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Ahead agement, sustainable forest management, urban systems,
of the Conferences of Parties (COP) on desertification, and island ecosystems.
biodiversity and climate, the GEF Assembly gathered 140 “GEF-9 is an opportunity to raise ambition through inte-
governments to catalyze action on climate change, biodi- gration and connect action for greater impact," said GEF
versity loss, land degradation, water management, ocean Interim CEO and Chairperson, Claude Gascon. "It will
health, and pollution. also help scale finance, strengthen inclusive approaches,
The last replenishment of the GEF (GEF-8) has al- and support the countries and communities most on the
ready shown what is possible through agrifood systems front lines of the environmental crisis.”
solutions. For example, investments in land restoration Two decades of impact
through better soil, and grazing practices lead to health-
ier pasture, more resilient herding systems and improved Since 2006, FAO has supported more than 140 countries
livelihoods. Adoption of climate-resilient rice variet- in accessing $2 billion in GEF resources and leverag-
ies and improved practices helps cut input costs, boost ing over $14 billion in co financing for agrifood systems
solutions. These investments are adding up to improved
yields, and reduce pressure on land and biodiversity. Ap-
plying agroforestry systems help farm store more car- practices across 173 million hectares of landscapes and
bon, protect soils, support biodiversity and become more seascapes, 8.8 million hectares of landscapes under res-
toration, improved management of 117 million hectares of
resilient to droughts, floods and heat.
protected areas on land and seas, and over a trillion met-
“Agrifood systems connect many of the solutions we ric tons of greenhouse gas emissions mitigated, directly
are here to scale up: building resilience to a changing benefitting 33 million people.

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2 Vol. 42 No. 5