Achieving Zero Hunger (SDG2) requires significant increases in investment in agricultural value chains. At the same time, international investment in agriculture comes with a broad range of social, economic, and environmental challenges. The inter-agency working group (IAWG) of UNCTAD, the World Bank Group, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and the International Fund for Agriculture Development has worked together for a decade to improve understanding and provide recommendations on how to maximize the benefits of international investment in agriculture while minimizing the risks. The high-level meeting will present the lessons learned from the application in the field of responsible agricultural investment principles, and assess relevant policy dimensions and future policy-oriented research and work directions.
Issues for the debate
- How can private investment in agricultural value chains best contribute to the SDGs?
- What are the main challenges to ensuring a positive contribution and what solutions are most effective?
- How can the lessons from the IAWG’s experience be used to improve the outcomes of private investment in agricultural value chains?