Employing over 1.2 billion people worldwide, our agrifood systems are the key to catalyzing solutions to tackle climate change and to achieving a more sustainable use of natural resources, but they are not getting the funding they deserve. Furthermore, funding is not reaching vulnerable communities including women, youth, family farmers, and Indigenous Peoples.  

A recent FAO report shows that the current share of climate-related development finance is inadequate to support the necessary agrifood system transformation. The most recent data available shows that climate-related development contributions to agrifood systems plummeted to $19 billion in 2021, marking a 12 percent decrease from 2020. 
 

Between 691 and 783 million people faced hunger in 2022, an increase of over 122 million since 2019. Without immediate and bold action, the situation is set to worsen. As the world's most vulnerable countries and communities struggle with mounting hunger in the face of the coupled climate and biodiversity crises, boosting both the quantity and quality of investment, and ensuring countries have the right policies and monitoring frameworks in place is essential to scale up ambitious agrifood system transformation. To strengthen the response to these pressing challenges, FAO is hosting the Task Force of the FAST Partnership and facilitating its implementation. 

The COP27 Presidency and FAO agreed that FAO would support the operationalization of the FAST Initiative through the establishment of the FAST Partnership. FAO will host the Partnership’s Task Force at its headquarters in Rome and facilitate its work. However, the success and strength of the FAST Partnership depends on its diverse range of partners who will bring their unique expertise and know-how to accelerate the transformation of agriculture and food systems and reach the most vulnerable. 

Current Members include governments, intergovernmental organizations, UN agencies, civil society organizations, youth and farmers’ organizations, and global and regional networks. See Members.  

The FAST Partnership serves as an accelerator to transform agrifood systems by leveraging global and regional initiatives and by fostering COP-to-COP collaboration.  

To achieve its objectives, the FAST Partnership relies on four main elements: (i) a Task Force acting as a coordination and facilitation unit, (ii) a Board and up to three Co-Chairs, (iii) Working Groups, and (iv) Members of the FAST Partnership.

See Terms of Reference and operational guidelines of the Partnership for more information.  

Structure