The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has approved US$68 million in financing to address biodiversity loss, land degradation, climate change, and pollution. Facilitated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 22 countries will implement projects that align with these objectives. This initiative is expected to mobilize an additional $273 million in co-financing, furthering global efforts toward environmental sustainability and social inclusion.
These projects were sanctioned by the GEF Secretariat and Councils during meetings in Washington D.C., under the GEF Trust Fund, the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), and the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF). The approved initiatives aim to integrate biodiversity into agrifood sectors, foster sustainable practices and mitigate environmental challenges while benefiting communities worldwide.
Small Grants Program: Empowering Local Communities
A US$19 million allocation has been approved for FAO’s first activities as a new implementing agency for the Small Grants Program. This initiative leverages FAO’s expertise with smallholder producers to support civil society and community-based organizations. Through financial and technical assistance, the program will emphasize innovation, scalability, and the social inclusion of women, Indigenous Peoples, and youth. The program will be implemented across 14 countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile, Cook Islands, Cuba, Guyana, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Marshall Islands, Nicaragua, South Sudan, Tajikistan, Uganda, and Venezuela. Targets include restoring 20,000 hectares of land, improving practices across 350,000 hectares, and benefiting 45,000 people.
Biodiversity Focused Initiatives
Five projects funded by the GBFF will focus on integrating biodiversity into agrifood sectors, fostering sustainable livelihoods and supporting Indigenous people. These initiatives aim to manage 500,000 hectares of protected areas, restore 13,000 hectares of landscapes, enhance practices on 2.4 million hectares of land and sea, mitigate 1.2 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, and benefit 100,000 people.
Country-specific projects include US$1.7 million in Laos for ecosystem restoration and biodiversity-friendly One Health practices; US$6.4 million in Papua New Guinea for ecosystem connectivity and climate resilience; US$2.4 million in the Solomon Islands for community-led management of biodiversity areas by Indigenous Peoples; US$3 million in Cuba to address unsustainable fishing and agriculture in Northeastern Cuba; and US$1.3 million in Nepal for conserving endangered freshwater fish through ecosystem-based fisheries management.
Additionally, an US$8 million project in Indonesia will conserve and restore 91,000 hectares of natural ecosystems in South Sumatra and Central Java. This initiative will improve practices on 565,000 hectares, mitigate 6.2 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, and benefit 40,000 people.
Land and Water Management Project
A regional project in Kenya and Tanzania will enhance water security and climate resilience in the Mount Kilimanjaro region. With US$7.8 million in GEF funding, this initiative will conserve 40,000 hectares of cloud forest, ensure sustainable groundwater use, and benefit 100,000 people. In Liberia, a US$5.1 million project will advance Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) commitments. This initiative will restore 25,000 hectares of land, apply sustainable land management practices across 100,000 hectares, mitigate over one million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, and benefit over 60,000 people.
Addressing Hazardous Chemicals
Under the Integrated Collaborative Approaches for Sustainable Tourism Program (iCOAST), Vanuatu will receive $4 million to promote sustainable tourism practices. This initiative will restore over 32,000 hectares of degraded ecosystems, improve practices on 62,000 hectares of land and sea, and benefit over 246,000 people. Meanwhile, the Financing Agrochemical Reduction and Management Plus Program (FARM+) will channel US$9.6 million to Gambia. This project aims to reduce harmful agrochemical use, restore 10,000 hectares of land, improve practices on 120,000 hectares, mitigate 15,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, and benefit 240,000 people.
Also read: Africa’s Livestock Sector: Experts Discuss Pathways to a Sustainable Future
“The approval of this batch of projects comes at the end of a year of environmental summits that highlighted both the need for finance to unlock transformation of global agrifood systems to this critical agenda. We look forward to supporting countries to meet their biodiversity, climate, land, water, and pollution goals through agrifood systems solutions under the overall guidance of the Four Betters.”
“These projects will help change the way we produce our food, fuel and fiber to address global environmental crises. They will enhance coherence between agricultural and environmental sectors and support countries and communities to tackle environmental challenges, food insecurity, and poverty. With this new financing in place, it is now equally important to their success to effectively communicate their goals and impacts.”
FAO-GEF Partnership
The program caps a year of extensive collaboration between FAO and GEF. In 2024, $440 million was approved across three work programs. Additionally, 13 FAO projects worth US$14 million in GEF funding and $24 million in co-financing are supporting climate change reporting and LDN commitments globally.
Since 2006, FAO has partnered with GEF to assist 141 countries in addressing environmental challenges and promoting sustainable development. This partnership has facilitated US$1.9 billion in funding to support local priorities and achieve global environmental objectives in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals.
The continued partnership between the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) underscores a robust commitment to addressing the planet’s most pressing environmental challenges. With over US$1.9 billion invested since 2006, their joint efforts are making strides toward sustainable development, climate resilience and biodiversity conservation. The newly approved projects, spanning multiple regions and sectors, exemplify the global collaboration needed to combat climate change, restore ecosystems, and promote social inclusion. Through innovative funding and community-driven initiatives, these efforts are paving the way for a more sustainable and equitable future for both the environment and the communities that depend on it.