Food security projects - Bilateral Trust Fund with the FAO
Since 2002, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture (BMEL) has been using a Bilateral Trust Fund (BTF) to support projects of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) aimed at eliminating hunger and malnutrition.
The fund focuses predominantly on promoting food security and agriculture based on the right to food. In addition to the annual financial contributions to the FAO, this Bilateral Trust Fund with the FAO represents a voluntary commitment and a contribution by the Federal Republic of Germany towards the implementation of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A total of 140 projects have been implemented with the FAO via the BTF since 2002.
Promoting food security and agriculture in rural areas
The aim of these projects is to support countries in ensuring quantitatively and qualitatively balanced diets for everyone. In cooperation with the partners in the respective countries as well as with the FAO and other international organisations, the intention is to realise the right to food both at political level and in specific local projects. Only once it is guaranteed that all human beings can gain access to adequate and balanced food - either through farming or through purchasing power - will the right to food be realised.
The projects are planned in cooperation with the FAO. The planning and implementation in a partner country are carried out in a joint process with the respective government and the target groups. Projects are developed with due regard to the social, ecological and economic sustainability objectives.
The thematic priorities of the BTF are:
- Strengthening policy frameworks for the concrete implementation of the right to food and access to land and natural resources
- Strengthening the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) and implementing the CFS’ guidelines
- Implementing strategies for sustainable food security and general education on nutritional issues in rural and urban areas, with a particular focus on the important role played by women and young people
- Promoting sustainable agricultural production, the agricultural sector’s climate change adaptation strategies, and the development of a bioenergy and bioeconomy sector that is closely linked to food security issues
- Developing solutions for reducing food losses and waste
Projects in cooperation with the FAO
- Sustainable soil management for nutrition-sensitive agriculture
- Preparation of a global partnership for bioeconomy for sustainable food and agriculture
- GLEAM-X: low-carbon animal husbandry
- Raising awareness and promoting use of the Committee on World Food Security’s policy products
- FAO - Fast Partnership
- Strengthening young agripreneurs
- Supporting an integrative, local administrative framework for land management in Mauritania and Sierra Leone
- Developing global nutrition guidelines and standards for school meals
- Reduction of food losses and waste in urban regions
- Responsible governance of tenure in the water management sector
- Emergency assistance for spring crop production in southern Ukraine
