Our Approach
GAFSP offers a diverse and flexible set of tools that can be customized to meet the needs and interests of clients. These include grants, blended finance, technical assistance, and advisory services. This allows funding of public and private actors along the entire agriculture value chain from farm to table.
GAFSP does not implement projects, rather it channels its investments through established multilateral development agencies<gov> that have the necessary expertise and proven sectoral experience to guide projects to success. Through these implementing partners, GAFSP finances technically sound, inclusive projects that target funding to where it is needed most and where it can be used most effectively.
GAFSP finances projects through three instruments:
Grants to Countries
GAFSP provides grants to low-income country governments (that are IDA-only<link to IDA>) in support of national agricultural and food security investment plans developed in participation with their own farmers, agribusinesses, technical experts, and civil society organizations.
Private Sector Financing
GAFSP uses blended finance solutions and concessional funding to support projects designed to improve the livelihood of smallholder farmers living in the world’s poorest countries.
Small-scale Grants to Producer Organizations
To reach smallholder farmers more directly, the Missing Middle Initiative (MMI) pilot focuses on producer organizations, civil society organizations, and small and medium enterprises.
GAFSP Supports
Demand-driven, Country-owned Projects
GAFSP targets funding to countries with the greatest needs and the best capacities to use such funding. Before the projects are even selected, the recipient country is in the driver’s seat: designing the project, holding consultations with stakeholders, and identifying partners to work with.
Building Private Sector Opportunities
GAFSP provides blended finance solutions and advisory services to support projects that may not generally attract commercial funding due to perceived high risks and that hold high potential for development impact.
Impact Beyond Agriculture
Investment in agriculture is crucial to alleviate hunger and lift millions out of poverty. Improved food systems can raise farm incomes, help adapt and build smallholder resilience to the changing climate, and provide access to safe and nutritious food.
Global Initiatives
GAFSP was designed to incentivize countries to prioritize strategic, smart, and effective agriculture and food policies and projects. It can help countries to implement cross-cutting global policies and initiatives like Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN), Committee on World Food Security (CFS), Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), etc.
Strict Monitoring Standards
GAFSP focuses on impact and lessons learned, and reports progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and against the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES).