Report on the Food Securities Fund’s Contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Introduction to the Food Securities Fund (FSF)

The Food Securities Fund (FSF) is a blended finance instrument developed by Clarmondial, with support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and Conservation International. It is designed to channel investment into sustainable agricultural supply chains within emerging and developing markets. The fund’s primary mechanism is the provision of pre-harvest working capital, which enables agricultural businesses to integrate sustainability into their operations, thereby contributing directly to multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Addressing Financial Gaps to Advance the SDGs

A significant barrier to achieving sustainable agriculture is the lack of accessible and affordable capital during the critical pre-harvest period. This financial gap constrains the implementation of regenerative and climate-smart practices, hindering progress on key environmental and social targets. The FSF provides an innovative and scalable solution by offering timely financing, which unlocks the potential for businesses and smallholder farmers to adopt more sustainable methods, improve livelihoods, and build resilience against economic and climate-related shocks.

Strategic Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

The FSF’s operational framework is intrinsically linked to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Its objectives and outcomes contribute to a range of interconnected goals:

• SDG 1 (No Poverty) & SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): By providing capital that improves smallholder farmer livelihoods, increases crop resilience, and supports fairtrade premiums, the fund directly tackles poverty and enhances food security.
• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): The fund supports the creation and maintenance of jobs in rural communities and fosters inclusive economic growth by connecting small-scale producers to global markets.
• SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production): FSF promotes traceable and sustainable sourcing, encouraging the adoption of certified practices within global supply chains.
• SDG 13 (Climate Action) & SDG 15 (Life on Land): A core objective is to accelerate climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, and land restoration through financing practices like agroforestry and sustainable land management.
• SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): The fund’s blended finance structure exemplifies a multi-stakeholder partnership, combining public and private resources to achieve shared development objectives.

Quantifiable Impacts and Achievements

Over its initial four years of operation, the FSF has generated measurable environmental and social outcomes aligned with the SDGs:

1. Land Management (SDG 15): 150,962 hectares of land have been restored, and 377,680 hectares are now under certified sustainable practices.
2. Climate Action (SDG 13): Activities have resulted in the sequestration of 215,939 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
3. Poverty Reduction and Economic Growth (SDG 1 & SDG 8): The fund has engaged 95,181 smallholder farmers and supported 2,679 jobs.

Case Study: Advancing SDGs in Burkina Faso

FSF’s financing of gebana Burkina Faso demonstrates its impact at the local level. This investment has strengthened fairtrade organic mango and cashew supply chains, delivering progress on several SDGs:

• SDG 1 (No Poverty): In 2024, over $2.2 million was distributed directly to 4,500 farming families through revenue-based premiums.
• SDG 5 (Gender Equality): The company employs more than 650 women, providing critical economic opportunities.
• SDG 15 (Life on Land): Farmers receive training in agroforestry, biofertilizer production, and composting, which directly contributes to biodiversity protection and increases crop resilience.

The Blended Finance Model: A Partnership for the Goals (SDG 17)

The FSF serves as a model for SDG 17 by effectively blending public and private capital. Catalytic funding from the GEF’s Non-Grant Instrument program, combined with risk-sharing from private agricultural companies, has attracted a diverse group of private institutional investors, including a bank, a reinsurance company, family offices, and endowments. This structure proves the financial viability of investments that generate positive environmental and social returns, mobilizing private sector finance for sustainable development.

Future Outlook

The Food Securities Fund aims to scale its impact significantly by 2030. The stated goals are to improve the management of at least 2.1 million hectares of land and benefit 700,000 people. By expanding into new regions and value chains, the FSF will continue to build on its successful partnership model, making a substantial contribution to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and international environmental conventions.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on the Food Securities Fund (FSF) addresses several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through its focus on financing sustainable agriculture, improving livelihoods, and promoting environmental conservation. The key SDGs connected to the fund’s activities are:

• SDG 1: No Poverty – By providing capital to smallholder farmers and improving their livelihoods.
• SDG 2: Zero Hunger – By supporting sustainable agricultural practices and improving the resilience of food supply chains.
• SDG 5: Gender Equality – Through the specific mention of employing women in its supported enterprises.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – By creating jobs, supporting small businesses (aggregators), and fostering inclusive economic value.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – By financing traceable, sustainable, and certified supply chains like fairtrade and organic.
• SDG 13: Climate Action – Through its explicit goals of climate change mitigation and helping farmers build resilience to climate-related shocks.
• SDG 15: Life on Land – By focusing on land restoration, biodiversity conservation, and promoting practices like agroforestry.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – The fund itself is a model of partnership, blending public and private capital to achieve sustainable development outcomes.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the activities and objectives described in the article, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. SDG 1: No Poverty

   • Target 1.5: By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters. The article highlights that the fund helps improve “resilience to economic, weather, and natural disaster shocks.”

2. SDG 2: Zero Hunger

   • Target 2.3: By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers. The fund directly engages with “95,181 smallholder farmers” and distributes revenue-based premiums, such as the “$2.2 million distributed directly to farmers” in Burkina Faso, to improve their economic standing.
   • Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality. The article mentions financing for “regenerative practices,” “agroforestry,” and “certified sustainable practices” covering 377,680 hectares.

3. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life. The article provides a concrete example of “employing more than 650 women” in the gebana Burkina Faso enterprise, contributing to women’s economic participation.

4. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.3: Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation. The article states that the fund’s activities have led to “2,679 jobs supported.”
   • Target 8.10: Strengthen the capacity of domestic financial institutions to encourage and expand access to banking, insurance and financial services for all. The FSF acts as an innovative financial vehicle, bridging a “gap in financing for ‘aggregators'” and providing “pre-harvest working capital” where it is otherwise inaccessible.

5. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

   • Target 12.2: By 2020, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. The fund supports businesses that prioritize “traceable, sustainable sourcing” and strengthens “fairtrade organic mango and cashew supply chains.”

6. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. The fund enables “resilient and impactful supply chains” and helps farmers implement “climate-smart solutions” to cope with shocks like “record commodity price volatility.”

7. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • Target 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world. The article reports a direct outcome of “150,962 hectares of land restored.”
   • Target 15.9: By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies and accounts. The fund is designed to “accelerate biodiversity conservation” and promotes practices like “agroforestry, biofertilizer, biopesticide production, and composting” that “directly contribute to biodiversity and environmental protection.”

8. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships. The FSF is described as a “blended finance fund” that is a “model for blending public and private resources,” involving the GEF (a public entity), private institutions like a bank and reinsurance company, and civil society organizations like Conservation International.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article provides several quantitative results from the Food Securities Fund’s first four years of operation, which serve as direct indicators of progress towards the identified SDG targets. These include:

• Indicator for Land Restoration and Sustainable Management (SDG 15.3, 2.4): “150,962 hectares of land restored and 377,680 hectares under certified sustainable practices.”
• Indicator for Climate Change Mitigation (SDG 13): “215,939 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent sequestered.”
• Indicator for Livelihood and Economic Inclusion (SDG 1.5, 2.3): “95,181 smallholder farmers engaged” and a future goal to “benefit 700,000 people” by 2030.
• Indicator for Job Creation (SDG 8.3): “2,679 jobs supported.”
• Indicator for Women’s Employment (SDG 5.5): The specific example of “employing more than 650 women” at gebana Burkina Faso.
• Indicator for Financial Flows to Farmers (SDG 2.3): The distribution of “over $2.2 million… directly to farmers” in a single year (2024) in Burkina Faso.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: thegef.org