The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) can enhance its support to countries in addressing governance of agrifood systems transformation by establishing a comprehensive framework that integrates local knowledge and participatory approaches. While FAO provides valuable technical assistance and policy recommendations, there remains a gap in facilitating meaningful engagement of local communities, smallholder farmers, and other stakeholders in decision-making processes. To fill this gap, FAO can implement decentralized governance structures that empower local actors to co-create solutions tailored to their specific contexts. This entails establishing platforms for dialogue, knowledge-sharing, and capacity-building at the grassroots level, ensuring that marginalized voices are heard and represented in policy formulation and implementation. Additionally, FAO can invest in strengthening the capacity of local institutions and civil society organizations to actively participate in governance mechanisms, fostering transparency, accountability, and inclusivity throughout the agrifood system. By prioritizing bottom-up approaches and facilitating multi-stakeholder collaboration, FAO can effectively support countries in achieving sustainable, inclusive, and resilient agrifood systems transformation that meets the diverse needs of communities while safeguarding environmental and social well-being.
Sr. Benson Turyasingura