FAO and Brazil renew alliance to strengthen trilateral South–South cooperation in the Global South

The Government of Brazil, through the Brazilian Cooperation Agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (ABC/MRE), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) signed, during the 39th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean, a new trilateral South–South technical cooperation agreement to continue working together with governments of countries of the Global South toward the transformation of agrifood systems.

Based on its successful experience in policies and programs to combat hunger and poverty, Brazil maintains a strong commitment to sharing knowledge, experiences, and lessons learned through South–South cooperation.

FAO has more than 40 years of experience as a promoter and facilitator of South–South and triangular cooperation in the areas of agriculture, food security, and nutrition.

With this new agreement, the participation of Brazilian institutions in knowledge and experience exchanges aimed at strengthening the capacities of countries in the Global South is expected to expand. In addition, it seeks to implement new joint initiatives and continue contributing to advancing regional and global agendas aimed at eradicating hunger and reducing inequalities through inclusive policies targeted at those most in need.

The document was signed this Thursday by FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol and the Director of the Brazilian Cooperation Agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (ABC/MRE), Ambassador Ruy Pereira.

Over the past 18 years, FAO and the Government of Brazil have worked together—primarily focusing on Latin America and the Caribbean—sharing knowledge and good practices through the Brazil–FAO South–South Cooperation Programme.

This joint work has promoted capacity strengthening in priority areas such as food and nutrition security, school feeding, family farming, strengthening of value chains such as cotton, sustainable rural development, and land governance. The technical cooperation of Brazilian institutions has been fundamental, together with FAO’s contributions as a neutral platform and facilitator and catalyst of policies that can be adapted and scaled up in other countries.

In addition, two new initiatives have been incorporated to reinforce cooperation: one focused on strengthening urban agrifood systems aimed at vulnerable populations, and another focused on improving public food supply systems, expanding the reach and impact of cooperation in the region.

Results

Throughout the trajectory of cooperation between FAO and Brazil, important results have been achieved in Latin America and the Caribbean, including:

• Training of more than 40,000 professionals in school feeding, with a direct impact on 1.6 million students in more than 23,000 schools, through the Sustainable Schools methodology.
• The creation of the Sustainable School Feeding Network (RAES), which currently brings together 18 countries and promotes the exchange of experiences and the strengthening of public policies in the region.
• The strengthening of diversified production systems under the +Cotton project, with the participation of more than 100 cooperating institutions. The initiative has already benefited more than 14,000 families and around 10,000 producers, expanding access to innovation and markets and contributing to improved rural incomes.
• Progress in the modernization of land information systems in Latin America and the Caribbean, through the exchange of experiences and good practices in territorial governance and the sustainable use of natural resources.
• The strengthening of public policies for family farming within the framework of the Specialized Meeting on Family Farming of MERCOSUR (REAF).
• Support to strengthen the resilience of countries in the Central American Dry Corridor to climate change through the introduction of innovations in productive systems.
• Promotion of the inclusion of women and youth, encouraging their participation in different projects.

Strategic alliances

Work in the region has involved the participation of at least 13 Brazilian institutions that share successful experiences and public policies, promote the exchange of good practices, and strengthen networks and dialogue spaces on public policies at regional and subregional levels, generating mutual benefits among countries of the Global South.

Participating institutions include the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Family Farming (MDA), the Ministry of Development and Social Assistance, Family and Fight Against Hunger (MDS), the National Fund for Education Development (FNDE), the National Institute for Colonization and Agrarian Reform (INCRA), the National Supply Company (CONAB), the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA), the Paraíba Company for Research, Rural Extension and Land Regularization (Empaer-PB), and the Brazilian Cotton Producers Association (ABRAPA).