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Aug. 03, 2026 | News

Civil Society-Led Report Underscores Best Practices, Lessons and Opportunities for Scaling

Titled “Food Systems from the Ground Up: A civil society review of GAFSP projects across seven countries,” the newly published report synthesizes country reviews conducted by the Civil Society Partnership for GAFSP in Burundi, Cambodia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Haiti, Lao PDR, Liberia and Tanzania.

Projects were chosen in these seven countries to reflect the diverse geography and financing tracks within GAFSP. The countries also share structural challenges, including widespread poverty, reliance on rain-fed smallholder agriculture, seed and extension system challenges, limited market access, climate vulnerability, gender inequality and high levels of malnutrition.

In 2025, GAFSP selected a consortium of CSOs, the Civil Society Partnership for GAFSP—to undertake the reviews of ongoing projects that are reflected in the analysis. The Partnership is led by ActionAid International along with the Eastern and Southern Africa Small-Scale Farmer Forum (EASFF), the Asian Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Areas (AsiaDHRRA) and the Coordination for Health and Development Action in Haiti (COSADH in French).

Since 2010, GAFSP has included the civil society community as essential stakeholders in program decision-making. Along with governments, private sector entities, and producer organizations, CSOs take a leading role in partnership with leading global development agencies. The results are robust: with $2.44 billion invested across 55 countries, the program has reached close to 40 million smallholder farmers.

Due to the increasingly urgent need for improved food and nutrition security, sustainable agriculture and food systems, strong partnerships with civil society are critical. This is especially true in countries dealing with conflict, natural disasters, accelerated climate change, and other fragile contexts.

Over the course of five months in 2025, consortium members conducted site visits to GAFSP projects in the seven countries, collecting data to document lessons, highlighting promising approaches, and identifying challenges. This research can now be used to inform future projects and program scaling.

Read the full report here.