The Food Systems, Land Use, and Restoration (FOLUR) Impact Program (FOLUR) is a $345 million programme supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and led by the World Bank (WB). FOLUR seeks to transform global food system by promoting sustainable, integrated landscapes and efficient commodity value chains. 

UNDP support FOLUR through its leadership of the  Good Growth Partnership (GGP),  which brings together the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Conservation International, and ISEAL as core partners. This Impact Program, which consists of a Global Platform that provides coordinated support services to 27 Country Projects targeting the production landscapes associated with eight commodities: beef, cocoa, corn, coffee, palm oil, rice, soy, and wheat. 

The FOLUR Global Platform is organized around three Pillars of activity. GGP participates in all three in close coordination with the other Global Platform core partners alongside the WB: the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Food and Land Use (FOLU) coalition and the Global Landscape Forum (GLF).  

In Pillar A —Program Capacity Strengthening— GGP contributes to the training agenda by conducting a Training Needs Assessment (with FAO). This assessment helps tailor its capacity strengthening offer to Country Project teams and stakeholders, including in relation to effective multi-stakeholder collaboration, private sector engagement, farmer support systems strengthening, and gender equality and empowerment of women (Gender Learning Programme). 

GGP’s existing learning community, the Food and Agricultural Commodity Systems Community, is expanding to include FOLUR Country Projects and the Global Platform with up to 60 virtual learning events scheduled.

In Pillar B —Policy and Value Chain Engagement— GGP’s expertise in private sector and finance sector advocacy and engagement is to the fore. Training on private sector’s engagement into sustainability initiatives will be provided for companies wishing to raise their game. And, working in coordination with other Global Platform core partners, GGP, leading by UNEP will continue to encourage and support the adoption of responsible investment and lending practices by domestic banks, central banks, investors and trade finance specialists, as well as the development of innovative financial mechanisms. UNDP raises awareness and strengthens capacity on UNDP’s Targeted Scenario Analysis (TSA) guidance, while also providing ad hoc technical support for TSA implementation in selected countries.

In Pillar C —Strategic Knowledge Management and Communications— UNDP’s collaborative digital learning platform, INVOLVE Communities, is hosting the FOLUR Community, ISEAL’s Evidensia platform services the research and knowledge base needs of FOLUR stakeholders, and new knowledge products and case studies will be originated from Country Projects covering a range of innovations and success stories.

To learn more about UNDP’s involvement in FOLUR contact Sandra Andraka, Senior Advisor at sandra.andraka@undp.org