FAO Eswatini Launches GEF-8 Food Systems Transformation Project to Accelerate Sustainable, Inclusive Agriculture

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has launched the Global Environment Facility (GEF)-8 Food Systems Transformation Project to address Eswatini’s food security and environmental concerns. The initiative brings together government ministries, development partners, and rural communities to coordinate actions across governance, financing, production landscapes, and value chains for a more resilient and sustainable food system.

The project was launched through a collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs (MTEA), and Eswatini Water and Agricultural Development Enterprise (EWADE). FAO provides technical and financial support, while EWADE implements the project under the Operational Partner Implementation Modality (OPIM). Funding is provided by the GEF, with a total value of USD 3,836,500. The project aims to support communities across Eswatini in transforming food systems from governance and financing to production landscapes and rural livelihoods.

Strategic framework and expected outcomes
The GEF-8 project is designed to deliver global environmental benefits while strengthening food and nutrition security and improving the lives of rural households. It adopts four interconnected components:

1. Strengthened Food System Governance - focusing on institutional capacity building and policy coherence to ensure coordinated and effective national food system management.
2. Improved Access to Sustainable Financing Mechanisms - enabling communities and institutions to mobilize resources for long-term food system investment.
3. Enhanced Management of Production Landscapes and Value Chains - aiming to restore ecosystem integrity and create inclusive economic opportunities across agricultural sectors.
4. Knowledge Generation, Innovation, Monitoring and Evaluation - supporting adaptive management and the scaling of best practices across the country.

These components are designed to work in concert to deliver tangible benefits for people, nature, and the economy, with emphasis on building climate resilience and long-term sustainability.

FAO Representative in Eswatini, Mr. Patrice Talla, outlined the project’s transformative scope and its multi-level approach to food systems change. He stressed that the initiative seeks to transform food systems at landscape scale by integrating governance, financing, production landscapes, value chains, knowledge, and innovation. “It promotes transformation across food systems at landscape scale, covering governance, financing, production landscapes, value chains, knowledge and innovation, to deliver benefits for people, nature and the economy,” Talla said.

Talla also highlighted FAO’s ongoing commitment to Eswatini’s development trajectory. The project is positioned as a continuation of a deeper partnership aimed at catalyzing sustainable agri-food systems transformation - benefiting people, nature, the environment, and the broader economy. A particular emphasis was placed on empowering women and youth in rural communities as key agents of sustainable change.

National leadership and climate considerations
The launch event featured remarks from the Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Mandla Tshawuka, who underlined the project’s tangible focus on uplifting farming communities. “The project delivers concrete actions towards those ambitions, ensuring that our farmers benefit from targeted investments, productive landscapes and income-generating activities,” he stated.

Hon. Jane Mkhonta-Simelane, Minister for Tourism and Environmental Affairs, addressed the environmental and social dimensions of the project. She connected the initiative directly to Eswatini’s climate adaptation priorities and to the empowerment of vulnerable groups. “The project will support climate-smart agriculture that enhances productivity while conserving our soils and water, and support sustainable value chains that empower farmers, women and youth,” she stated.

By aligning governance, finance, landscape management, and knowledge systems, the GEF-8 Food Systems Transformation Project supports Eswatini’s broader development objectives in line with FAO’s mandate to promote sustainable agriculture, resilient livelihoods, and inclusive growth. The initiative reinforces the integration of environmental stewardship with food security and rural development, positioning Eswatini to scale best practices in climate-smart agriculture, water resource management, and value-chain development.

Implementation and local impact
Under the OPIM modality, EWADE will execute project activities with technical oversight from FAO. The project anticipates strengthening national food system governance to enable more coherent policy implementation and informed decision-making. Improved financing mechanisms are expected to unlock investment in rural infrastructure, agribusiness development, and capacity-building for farmer organizations.

Production landscapes and value chains will receive targeted interventions to restore ecosystem integrity while expanding opportunities for smallholders, including women and youth, to participate in productive activities and markets. Finally, knowledge generation, monitoring, and evaluation will support adaptive management and the dissemination of scalable practices across Eswatini’s landscapes.

The emphasis on inclusive participation is central to the project’s design. By prioritizing women and youth as leaders and beneficiaries, the initiative seeks to expand rural livelihoods and contribute to more equitable access to resources, information, and markets.

Outlook and broader significance
The GEF-8 Food Systems Transformation Project represents a milestone for Eswatini’s sustainable development. By bringing together environmental stewardship with inclusive economic growth, it aims to build food systems that are productive, fair, and able to withstand climate shocks. The project shows how governance, financing, landscape management, and knowledge sharing can work together to strengthen national food security and resilience.

As Eswatini advances toward its development goals, the GEF-8 project provides a structured path to improved food security, resilient ecosystems, and inclusive economic opportunities. By delivering targeted actions and reinforcing partnership networks, the initiative aims to secure a more stable and prosperous food future for Eswatini’s rural populations and beyond.