Published on 30 April 2025
The international architecture around food systems
An overview of the major international organisations and mechanisms which govern and influence food systems and security.
K-HUB > Dig Deeper: Concepts > The internatonal architecture
Overview
International work on food systems consists of collaborative efforts between a vast and often confusing ecology of organisations. This section is designed to provide a brief overview of some of the most important actors and what they stand for. For the purposes of this overview, these have been categorised as such:
- The UN-Agencies. These are located in Rome, Italy and are the largest international actors. They have normative influence and represent the locus of international discussion.
- Important regional bodies. An array of regional bodies which do important work on food systems in their respective regions of the world and run programmes which support food systems transformation.
- Other key organisations. Organisations which fall outside these two categories, but which are nevertheless cover important processes related to agriculture and food systems.
- Notable platforms, treaties and mechanisms. A selection of further entities which are important to SDC’s international engagement in matters of agriculture and food systems
UN-Agencies
The UN-Agencies based in Rome, commonly known, as the «Rome-Based Agencies» (RBAs) form the backbone of the international system. At the centre of this is the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which in its normative function predates even the UN itself. But alongside it stands the World Food Programme (WFP) as the major international body to respond to food crises and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) as an international finance institution for rural and agricultural investment.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is a specialised UN-agency, located in Rome and established in 1945 with the goal of eradicating hunger and improving food security globally. Headquartered in Rome, Italy, FAO has 194 members, works in over 130 countries, partnering with governments, organisations, and communities to address challenges in agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and rural development. Important is its normative function, in that international standards for food systems and agricultural trade are set through the FAO’s governing bodies, and enshrined in such treaties and documents as the IPPC (International Plant Protection Convention) or the Codex Alimentaris, which represents a collection of international norms for food safety and food production standards.
FAO's primary objectives include promoting sustainable agricultural practices, increasing agricultural productivity, enhancing nutrition, and ensuring food security for all. The organisation provides technical assistance, policy advice, and capacity-building initiatives to support agricultural development and alleviate poverty in rural areas. Key focus areas for FAO include combating climate change impacts on agriculture, promoting biodiversity conservation, addressing food waste and loss, and advocating for the rights of smallholder farmers and marginalised communities.
Through research, data analysis, and advocacy efforts, FAO plays a crucial role in shaping global food policies and strategies, striving to create a world free from hunger and malnutrition. FAO is one of the parent organisations of WFP.
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The World Food Programme (WFP) is distinguished amongst UN agencies is its dual humanitarian and development mandate. The organisation provides short-, mid- and long-term food-related assistance in emergencies and protracted crises and supports structural resilience interventions. In doing so, it provides technical assistance to national and local governments to help them achieve the SDGs, in particular SDGs 2 and 17, for example by strengthening programmes for food production and distribution, DRD, education, nutrition, financial inclusion or social protection. Its added value comes from its extensive external network and unrivalled logistical capabilities.
Comprised of member states from five geographical zones, the Executive Board is the WFP's supreme governing body, determining the organisation’s policies, providing intergovernmental coordination and support, overseeing WFP’s activities and ensuring its compliance with rules and regulations. Switzerland will remain a member of this body until 2031; it coordinates its interventions with the group of Western European and North American states.
Currently, Switzerland's key institutional objectives are to ensure that WFP (1) integrates a more people-centred approach into its policies and operations; (2) collaborates more and better with local authorities and NGO partners; and (3) improves its internal governance and supervision, supported by its member states.
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is a specialised agency of the United Nations dedicated to eradicating rural poverty in developing countries. Its main mandate is to empower rural communities to achieve sustainable agricultural development and improve their livelihoods. IFAD provides financial resources and technical assistance to support smallholder farmers, fishers, and pastoralists in accessing markets, technology, and knowledge. It focuses on enhancing productivity, promoting inclusive rural finance, and strengthening community organisations to ensure that rural populations have the means to overcome poverty and food insecurity. IFAD's work encompasses various initiatives such as building resilient agricultural systems, investing in rural infrastructure, and fostering innovative approaches to rural development. IFAD collaborates with governments, civil society, and the private sector to foster opportunities for rural populations, with particular emphasis on empowering women and youth. Central to its mission is addressing climate-related challenges through both mitigation and adaptation efforts. This includes initiatives aimed at building resilience in rural communities, promoting sustainable agricultural practices, and ensuring that climate considerations are integrated into development strategies. Through these concerted efforts, IFAD aims to not only alleviate poverty but also create pathways for rural communities to thrive in the face of environmental change.
Important regional bodies
At the regional level, an array of international bodies represent important cardinal points for coordinating the action of nation states on an array of topics. These bodies are well known, so the following paragraphs are less about introducing the organisations per se and more about explaining what they are undertaking in the area of food systems.
The European Union (EU) and its executive arm, the European Commission, play a pivotal role in shaping food policy within and between its member states. The EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is one of its most significant policy areas, aiming to ensure a stable food supply, support agricultural livelihoods, and promote rural development while also addressing environmental concerns. The European Commission is responsible for proposing and implementing CAP reforms, which encompass various measures such as subsidies, market regulation, and environmental stewardship programmes. Additionally, the EU sets food safety standards, regulations, and labelling requirements to protect consumer health and promote fair trade within the Single Market. Through these mechanisms, the EU and the European Commission influence agricultural practices, food production, and distribution across Europe, contributing to food security, sustainability, and consumer protection. As a result of there close alignment in food and agriculture policy, European member states usually negotiate international treaties in these areas through a joint representation under the umbrella of the EU.
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The African Union is a continental organisation comprising 55 member states across Africa, established in 2001 to promote unity, peace, and prosperity on the continent. Headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the AU aims to accelerate socio-economic integration, champion democratic governance, and enhance Africa's voice in global affairs. A key initiative for economic development is the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which aims to create a single market for goods and services across Africa, with particular allowances for sanitary and phytosanitary measures. The AU recognises food security as a fundamental component of its agenda for socioeconomic development and poverty eradication across the continent, with a goal to addressing the challenges of hunger, malnutrition, and food insecurity. One signatory initiative in this regard is the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), launched in 2003 and reaffirmed by the Malabo Declaration in 2014, in which African Heads of State committed to doubling agricultural levels in Africa by 2025. CAADP aims to promote agricultural growth, food security, and rural development by increasing public and private investment in agriculture, improving agricultural productivity, and enhancing market access for smallholder farmers. Subsequently, flowing from the Malabo Declaration, the AU developed the Africa Common Position on Food Systems, which was presented at the UN Food Systems Summit in 2021. It objective is to create awareness, build consensus on shared visions and critically galvanise necessary actions, including policy alignment and increased investments towards building and sustaining resilient, viable and inclusive food systems. The common position provides views, perspectives and priorities as well as ambitions on key issues shaping Africa’s food systems. Currently the AU is defining objectives and outlines of the post-Malabo declaration. The progress of the AU’s members states as well as the 5 Regional Economic Communities (REC’s), including ECOWAS and SADC,. towards the target of the Malabo declaration are regularly monitored through the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) framework.
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The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a political and economic union comprising 10 Southeast Asian countries, and committed to accelerating «economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region». In recent years, ASEAN has produced a number of key documents on agriculture and food security, such as the Framework and Strategic Plan of Action on Food Security, Regional Guidelines for Sustainable Agriculture, or a political declaration on strengthening food security and nutrition in response to crises. On the basis of its inherent structures which are designed to facilitate regional trade and investment, the organisation facilitates knowledge-sharing, technical assistance, and capacity-building initiatives to strengthen agricultural systems and address common challenges.
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Other key organisations
Beyond the categories of the Rome-Based UN and regional bodies, there are several key international organisations which are instrumental to the ways food systems are shaped.
The Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) is a global research partnership for a food-secure future and constitutes the world’s largest publicly-funded agricultural research network. CGIAR science is dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources and ecosystem services. Its research is carried out by 15 CGIAR centers, with more than 10’000 staff, in close collaboration with hundreds of partners, including national and regional research institutes, civil society organisations, academia, development organisations and the private sector.
Agricultural research and innovation are critical to our ability to understand and stay ahead of the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation, which are felt both locally and globally. Putting research and innovations in the hands of smallholder farmers, producers, policymakers and consumers in low- and middle-income countries is key to both tackling climate change and transforming fragile food systems.
CGIAR science is:
- equipping smallholder farmers with technologies to produce more and more nutritious food with fewer resources and adapt to changing environments.
- breeding more resilient and nutritious crops, improve farming practices to protect soil and water resources, and reduce food loss and waste.
- improving the lives and livelihoods of those living in poverty, particularly women, youth and other marginalised groups, and limit the human and economic costs of emergencies
- supporting innovative, regenerative farming practices that reduce deforestation and change of land use to protect biodiversity
Switzerland is one of the founding members of the CGIAR and has always played an important role in setting strategic directions and priorities. During the last years, Switzerland took a pivotal role in the reform process which led to a sharper focus on impacts, a stronger institutional integration and a more unified governance (One CGIAR). Switzerland is a voting member in the System Council, the strategic decision-making body of CGIAR and is among the 10 largest core funders of the CGIAR. Next to core funding, SDC is also supporting specific CGIAR projects bilaterally.
The World Bank (WB), its lending arm, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and other International Financial Institutions (IFIs) undertake major investments to address national and global food security challenges. These usually come in the form of infrastructure financing, technical assistance and policy support. Notably the WB through its International Development Association (IDA) provides financial assistance in the form of concessional loans and grants to developing countries for agricultural development projects, infrastructure improvement, and policy reforms. Concerning food systems, these are aimed at enhancing food production, distribution, and access. The IDA also supports initiatives to strengthen resilience to climate change and mitigate the impacts of food crises.
Similarly, regional development banks such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), African Development Bank (AfDB), and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) allocate significant resources to agricultural and rural development programmes, including investments in irrigation, rural infrastructure, and agricultural research. IFIs also collaborate with other multilateral organisations, governments, and NGOs to coordinate efforts, share knowledge, and implement effective strategies for improving food security worldwide. They support initiatives like the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP), which provides grants to low-income countries to boost agricultural productivity and food security.
Overall, the World Bank and other IFIs are essential partners in the global fight against hunger and malnutrition, leveraging their financial resources and expertise to help countries achieve sustainable food security and agricultural development.
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- The World Bank (WB)
- The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
- African Development Bank Group and food security
- The Inter-American Development Bank and Agriculture & Food Security
- The Asian Development Bank and Agriculture & Food Security
- The Global Agriculture and Food Security programme (GAFSP)
Notable platforms, treaties and mechanisms
The international architecture of the food systems sector includes a range of international mechanisms which are in many cases hosted by organisations of varying size and importance.
The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) was established in 1974 and reformed in 2009 to become the foremost inclusive international and intergovernmental platform to promote policy convergence and coherence on global food security and nutrition. Its processes ensure that the voices of all relevant stakeholders are heard, particularly those most affected by food insecurity and malnutrition. CFS is an integral component of global governance on food security, it reports to the FAO and to the UN General Assembly through the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
Over the years, a number of quasi-normative documents – based on scientific evidence - have been produced through its various workstreams and multiparty negotiation, essentially voluntary guidelines and policy recommendations in areas such as land governance, responsible agricultural investment or food systems and nutrition. While these documents are not binding upon its members, they do nevertheless carry a lot of moral weight. One of the CFS’s defining features is that the civil society and private sector have their own representations in negotiations, and the resulting documents can raise a claim to being in inclusive than those produced by other international mechanisms. Switzerland is substantially invested in the CFS and is as such a leading member. An important CFS body is the High-Level Panel of Experts (HLPE) which informs CFS process by providing information on worldwide knowledge and emerging trends in food security. The HLPE also commissions detailed thematic reports which represent important reference points for policy debate and negotiations.
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The Food Systems Coordination Hub is a central platform dedicated to facilitating collaboration and coordination among stakeholders involved in transforming food systems. It serves as a nexus for governments, international organisations, civil society, academia, and the private sector to share knowledge, best practices, and resources. Through strategic partnerships and initiatives, the Hub works to align efforts, promote innovation, and address challenges across the food value chain, from production and distribution to consumption and waste management. By fostering dialogue and collective action, it aims to drive sustainable and inclusive food system transformation to achieve global food security and nutrition goals.
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The SUN Movement was launched in 2010 by the United Nations Secretary-General. It is a country-driven initiative led by 65 countries and four Indian states that aims to end all forms of malnutrition by 2030. SUN is a Movement that is committed to the understanding that good nutrition is the best investment for the future. SUN countries, via the government focal points, engage all sectors of central and local governments in efforts to improve nutrition (via food systems, health systems, social protection, WASH, etc). There are four SUN Networks - SUN Civil Society Network, SUN Business Network, United Nations (UN) Nutrition and SUN Donor Network – made up of, respectively, more than 4,000 civil society organisations, some 1,400 businesses, 5 UN agencies and a group of international donors and foundations. The networks are active at global level and in countries.
SDC is a member of the SUN Donor Network and supports the SUN Civil Society Network.
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The Coalition for food systems transformation through Agroecology was set up in September 2021 on the margins of the UN Food Systems Summit, with Switzerland as one of its first signatory States alongside Senegal. The Coalition aims to accelerate the transformation of food systems using agroecology as a compass, guided by the 13 principles of agroecology as defined by the High-Level Panel of Experts (HLPE) of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) and aligned with the 10 Elements of Agroecology adopted by the 197 FAO Members in December 2019. The Agroecology Coalition gained a more solid structure as of Spring 2023 with the setting up of a Secretariat comprising 3 staff and a part-time Senior Advisor, hosted by Bioversity International and based in Rome, Italy – close to the RBAs. Coalition membership if comprised of countries, regional commissions and authorities, and a wide variety of organisations including farmers organisations, research institutions, indigenous peoples’ organisations, UN agencies, philanthropic foundations and civil society organisations. Switzerland sits in the Board, represented by the Federal Office of Agriculture.
By amplifying the work and harnessing the combined experience and expertise of its members, the objective is to gather greater impact together. In order to operationalise the Coalition and drive forward its work, five working groups have been formed, with a 6th under development, namely: 1. Research, co-innovation and education; 2. Policies; 3. Financing and investment; 4. Communications; 5. Implementation; and 6. Markets.
The objectives of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) created under the auspices of FAO in 2014, and signed by 151 contracting parties (as of 2023) are the conservation and sustainable use of all plant genetic resources for food and agriculture and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of their use, in harmony with the Convention on Biological Diversity for sustainable agriculture and food security. The Treaty facilitates access to a wide range of genetic materials through its multilateral system and ensures that farmers have the right to save, use, exchange, and sell farm-saved seed. The Treaty also sets out provisions which promote international collaboration in agricultural research by fostering cooperation and providing a framework for the sustainable management of plant genetic resources. The Treaty occupies a prominent role in the promotion of global food security, improved agrobiodiversity, promotion of orphan crops, diversification and the protection of indigenous knowledge.
The Global Alliance for Food Security (GAFS) was launched by G7 Development Ministers Meeting in May 2022 as a way to address the emerging global food security and nutrition crisis related to the war in Ukraine. Its objective is to catalyse a swift and coordinated response to the global food and nutrition security crisis, and currently is jointly convened by the World Bank Group and the German G7 Presidency with active engagement and support from humanitarian and development partners, regional organisations and various other governments. GAFS takes the form of an open «joint forum» to accelerate action in an agile fashion. It also maintains a website with a dashboard which pulls together an array of real-time data related to food security and nutrition. It is intended to be a temporary platform to achieve maximum synergy and complementarity in mounting a short-term crisis response and enhancing crisis preparedness.
The Global Donor Platform for Rural Development was established in 2003 as a mechanism to allow major donors entertain informal technical exchanges away from the politics of rural development and agriculture. The informality of this space is designed to enable frank exchanges on selected topics which can be used by member states to coordinate their actions in a particular thematic field, and otherwise reach alignment more quickly in subsequent multilateral processes. The over 40 platform members share a vision for the realisation of SDG 2 and their constructive and effective role in supporting and enabling food systems transformation.
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YPARD (Young Professionals for Agriculture and Rural Develoment). YPARD is an international movement comprised of several thousand young people who work across food systems. This online and offline communication platform is designed to enable and empower young agricultural leaders around the world to shape sustainable food systems.
SAFIN (Smallholder and Agri-SME Finance and Investment Network) based at IFAD is multi-stakeholder platform that has been championing inclusive finance for agricultural SMEs since its inception in 2016. Established to address the fragmented financial landscape, SAFIN connects SMEs with the necessary capital and resources for growth. By fostering collaboration among SMEs, financial institutions, development agencies, governments and supporting organisations, SAFIN works to streamline access to finance, driving agricultural development worldwide. Through its network and partnerships, SAFIN facilitates knowledge sharing, capacity building, and innovative financial solutions tailored to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises in the agricultural sector.
GNAFC (Global Network Against Food Crises), launched at the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit by the EU, WFP and FAO represents an alliance The Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC) is an alliance of humanitarian and development actors united by the commitment to tackle the root causes of food crises and promote sustainable solutions through shared analysis and knowledge, strengthened coordination in evidence-based responses and collective efforts across the Humanitarian, Development and Peace (HDP) nexus.
FSIN (Food Security Information Network) collects, manages and evaluates data on the food situation in countries facing acute hunger. FSIN defines its mission as to provide timely and accurate food security and nutrition information to support evidence-based decision-making and promote effective actions to eradicate hunger and malnutrition. FSIN works closely with GNAFC to compile the Global Report on Food Crises.
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