Agriculture and food security
Hunger and malnutrition not only endanger the health of people but pose a significant threat to the overall development of a country. The SDC is committed to ensuring adequate, sufficient and good-quality food for all, taking into account the entire food value chain: from the fields where food is produced, to storage and processing, markets, trade, transport and up to consumers via diet.
The SDC works worldwide to secure the human right to adequate food. It designs its activities with the aim of giving poorer and disadvantaged population groups, such as smallholder farmers, women and young people, equal access to education, productive resources and markets. The SDC helps them to make productive but sustainable use of natural resources and supports them in dealing with the effects of climate change, with the storage and marketing of their produce and with continuous adaptation to changing environmental conditions. Throughout all these endeavors, the SDC persistently pays special attention to the preservation of the highly endangered biodiversity in each context. It also promotes needs-oriented research and advisory services.
In addition, the SDC encourages innovations all along the food value chain that provide consumers with a healthy and diverse diet by facilitating access to suitable foodstuffs, both in rural and in urban areas.
Sustainable agriculture ensures a healthy diet, preserves biodiversity, and is the basis for securing the human right to adequate food. With this goal in mind, Switzerland engages in international cooperation in the field of food security. The Swiss agriculture sector, with its multifunctional, family-based and environmentally-friendly food production geared to social and regional balance, acts as a role model.
Links
Documents
Global Programme Food Security: Programme Framework 2021–24 (PDF, 28 Pages, 2.0 MB, English)
Food security: An SDC Global Programme (PDF, 8 Pages, 1.7 MB, English)
Food Systems Section project portfolio, SDC 2023 (PDF, 40 Pages, 5.0 MB, English)
Food security – a value-added chain (Multilaterale Akzente, September 2011, fr) (PDF, 2.2 MB)
Securing enough food for all (2007) (PDF, 6.2 MB)
Current projects
Backstopping support for SDC’s Cluster Green thematic Knowledge Networks A+FS, CDE and RésEAU
01.01.2025
- 31.12.2028
As a globally active knowledge-based organisation, SDC is critically dependent on effective and efficient knowledge management. SDC’s thematic networks sit at the heart of this endeavour, rendering an essential service across the organisation and its partners by connecting network members, collecting and processing information, and retaining and distributing knowledge. State-of-the art backstopping services are essential to this activity, as is close cooperation between SDC’s thematic networks.
Appui au renforcement des capacités de résilience des populations vulnérables du Batha – REPAR
16.09.2024
- 15.09.2027
L’intervention vise à améliorer la sécurité alimentaire et nutritionnelle des populations vulnérables de la province du Batha de manière holistique, à travers une approche prenant en compte à la fois les activités de développement et humanitaire. Le projet appuie la mise en place d’un mécanisme local durable de prévention et de gestion des crises alimentaires, l’augmentation des revenus des ménages vulnérables et l’assistance alimentaire pendant les périodes de soudure.
Food security and livelihood assistance to conflict-affected populations in Northeast Nigeria
15.09.2024
- 31.08.2027
Food insecurity and malnutrition remain prevalent across Northeast Nigeria, driven by insecurity leading to displacement and lack of access to farmland. This is further compounded since 2023 by soaring inflation. The situation is affecting up to 4.8 million food insecure people in 2024. SDC’s continued funding to FAO seeks to further strengthen the resilience of crisis-affected people by sustainably improving their food production and productivity with a particular focus on women.
Andean Regional Initiative on Adaptation to Climate Change (ARIACC)
01.09.2024
- 31.08.2027
ARIACC aims to increase the resilience of Andean Family Agriculture to climate change by improving the implementation of relevant policies, building capacity, leveraging investments, scaling innovative practices and promoting regional and global knowledge exchange. Close multisectoral collaboration will ensure the sustainability and scaling of the initiative. The project builds on longstanding SDC experience in the region and consolidates successful achievements of Phase 1 while sharing them globally.
Tajikistan UNDRR - Strengthening Resilience to Disasters and Climate Change in Tajikistan (SRDCT)
01.09.2024
- 28.02.2026
Tajikistan is highly vulnerable to natural hazards and climate impacts, thus strengthening resilience needed as fundament for sustainable development. The intervention will contribute to (i) sustainable and effective mechanisms and instruments to improve risk governance through the national DRR platform, (ii) improved risk knowledge through robust loss data collection and recording, and (iii) preparedness measures through support to multi-hazard Early Warning Systems and risk information.
Gender Equality in Food Systems
01.08.2024
- 31.12.2027
Gender-based discrimination, or the denial of women’s rights, is one of the major causes of poverty and food insecurity. The support from SDC contributes to women’s economic empowerment and the sustainable and transformative change in their livelihoods. FAO, IFAD, WFP and UN Women together tackle the barriers to gender equality at global, regional and national levels, including through the uptake of the CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls Empowerment.
Assistance multisectorielle pour les populations affectées par les déplacements, Beni & Oicha, Nord Kivu
22.07.2024
- 31.07.2026
Les conflits armés à l’est de la RDC entrainent des déplacements récurrents de population, des violences sur les civils, la perte de moyens d’existence ainsi que des besoins humanitaires importants. Dans la continuité des deux phases antérieures, cette intervention vise à renforcer la résilience des populations affectées par les conflits par une intervention en sécurité alimentaire, moyens de subsistance et eau, hygiène et assainissement, dans 4 zones de santé du territoire de Beni, au Nord Kivu.
Responsible Business Fund Plus (RBF+)
01.07.2024
- 30.06.2028
Myanmar’s post-coup conflict escalation and economic turmoil has led to financial and economic instability and destabilised the agrifood industry. Also, extreme weather and climate change further impact farmers and agricultural processors. The Responsible Business Fund Plus project aims to support agrifood businesses while reducing their environmental impact and thus deepening Switzerland's commitment to private sector engagement and an inclusive green economy.
Futuro Microbank
15.05.2024
- 31.12.2027
The microfinance institution Futuro Mcb, SA currently provides financial services (loans, savings, insurance) to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) mainly in and around Nampula city. Switzerland will continue to support Futuro with a grant for technical assistance that will help the bank to expand its impact by providing financial services to more low-income entrepreneurs in more regions in Northern Mozambique, thus allowing them to enhance their income and create more jobs.
Scaling Up Youth Employment in Agriculture Initiative
01.05.2024
- 30.04.2028
In Zambia and Zimbabwe, due to a mismatch between the skills they have and those in demand, youth cannot access or create economic opportunities and overlook those available. The project builds skills and matches youth with firms, markets and finance to create more and better (self)-employment in agri-food, renewable energy and emerging sectors, contributing to Swiss priorities on human and economic development and climate change. This is a contribution implemented by SNV.
Up-Scaling ARC's Risk Transfer System
01.05.2024
- 06.07.2026
Switzerland is playing a leading role in the development of innovative financial instruments to mitigate climate risks. This project aims to support the African Union's African Risk Capacity, an early warning and risk transfer system, in protecting 175’000 smallholder rice farmers in Côte d'Ivoire as a pilot project against drought, excessive rainfall and other climate-related challenges, and to strengthen their resilience and sustainability in the face of environmental uncertainties.
UNHAS - Accès aux bénéficiaires en Afrique de l’Ouest
01.03.2024
- 31.12.2027
Dans un contexte d’insécurité alimentaire croissante et d’accès humanitaire précaire au Sahel, le service aérien humanitaire des Nations Unies (UNHAS) permet d’accéder aux populations dans le besoin grâce à un transport sûr et rapide de personnes et de biens. La contribution à UNHAS permettra d’atteindre les populations vulnérables dans les régions reculées ou enclavées et d’assurer le suivi des programmes suisses.