Annual Meeting 2017 Davos-Klosters, Switzerland 17-20 January

Stewardship Board Brief

This briefing note provides an overview of the World Economic Forum System Initiative on Shaping the Future of Food Security and Agriculture. Building on the 11 years of work of the Forum in this sector, the System Initiative engages a network of over 1,500 leaders in 600 organizations who work through the Forum platform to build alignment, develop collaborations and take action to achieve shared goals.

Each System Initiative is guided by a Stewardship Board comprised of global leaders who meet at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters. This briefing note provides an overview of the state of food systems and of ongoing Forum initiatives as background for that meeting.

1. The Current State of Public-Private Cooperation in Food Security and Agriculture

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are driving recognition that food systems are central to achieving progress in many related sectors. As a consequence, public-private partnership (PPP) activity in the sector is rapidly increasing, taking shape through collective-action platforms as well as country- and company-driven initiatives.

Growing and evolving multistakeholder platforms

An increasing number of partnership platforms have emerged, and existing ones are expanding and evolving. These include:

– Public-private or multistakeholder platforms focused on agriculture: For example, the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) platform, the World Economic Forum New Vision for Agriculture (NVA) initiative and the Sustainable

System Initiative on Shaping the Future of Food Security and Agriculture

1

Food Lab (SFL) are well established in the sector. This year saw the launch of a new Global Agribusiness Alliance (GAA) supported by the World Business Council on Sustainable Development. The Patient Procurement Platform, launched by a group of companies with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), Grow Africa and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), aims to provide opportunities to 1 million farmers in 25 countries.

– Platforms focused on nutrition: Existing platforms include those focused on micronutrient fortification, such as the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and Harvest Plus. The Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement has expanded its reach to 57 countries and is strengthening its focus on country-level impact.

– Platforms linking nutrition and sustainability: The EAT Initiative, founded in 2013 to promote sustainable and healthy food systems, established the EAT Foundation to advance research and business-model innovation.

– Platforms focused on improving agriculture’s environmental footprint: The Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA) consolidated and expanded its reach, achieving a key victory in November with the commitment of seven West African governments to sustainably develop palm oil. The Water Resources Group (WRG) is expanding beyond its historical urban and industrial focus to address agricultural water use. The YieldWise initiative, launched by the Rockefeller Foundation in partnership with several companies, works to reduce food waste and empower smallholder farmers along the value chain.

The rising number of such initiatives indicates a growing demand for collaborative platforms, which are increasingly recognized as a necessary piece of architecture to enable multistakeholder action on complex, long-range issues. The proliferation of initiatives also indicates continuing experimentation and innovation as players seek new and effective approaches. The past year has seen more partnership activity explicitly focused on interlinkages between agriculture and other sectors or issues, including climate, nutrition and trade.

Despite their growing presence in the sector, multistakeholder partnership platform models are in an early stage of development and impact. Many face challenges common to new organizations, including a lack of adequate resourcing, a need for more robust governance as well as monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks, and over-reliance on individual champions. Duplication and overlapping activities are an issue in some cases, as multiple initiatives focus on taking similar approaches, or engaging the same “champion” companies or governments. Better coordination among platforms, paired with guidance from key champions involved across multiple initiatives, can help initiatives adopt a coordinated and complementary approach.

Multiplying individual initiatives and refining best practice

Partnership initiatives driven by individual companies or governments continue to multiply.

– For multinational corporations, company-driven commitments and initiatives related to various aspects of food security, nutrition and agriculture have become

part of standard business operations. Nearly all major global companies in the food and agribusiness sector have a sustainability strategy and are demonstrating action towards SDG-related themes in some way. Many have become increasingly sophisticated actors in global leadership settings, prioritizing key global issues such as climate change or inclusive value chains, and designing and launching significant partnership initiatives to achieve them. A growing number of emerging-market companies are leading and engaging in partnership initiatives, setting a strong example for their regional peers. Industry associations, such as the Consumer Goods Forum, provide a platform for companies to make coordinated commitments.

– National governments are proactively seeking private-sector investment and partnership to mobilize the resources needed to achieve national goals. In many cases, these efforts can be strengthened through support from business-convening organizations, and through the cross-country and cross-regional exchange of best practices.

– Civil society organizations are increasingly serving as brokers and enablers of concrete PPP initiatives. An example is the role of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in administering funds and monitoring the impact of AgroLAC, a catalytic fund for sustainable agriculture partnerships in Latin America co-founded by the Inter-American Development Bank, TNC and The Dow Chemical Company.

Evolving the partnership landscape further for Food Security and Agriculture

Multistakeholder partnerships in the food and agricultural sector remain in an early and emerging stage. While they show great promise, they are not yet driving transformation at the scale and speed needed to meet the sector’s impending challenges. Specific areas requiring more focus include:

– Achieving large-scale impact: Many partnerships are constrained from scaling up due to the high transaction costs of facilitating a partnership in person; some coordination and brokering services could potentially be delivered through technology-enabled platforms to reach scale. In addition, innovative partnership approaches piloted on a small scale should be adopted, mainstreamed and scaled by governments, companies and others.

– Strengthening cross-sectoral interlinkages: Global food systems are closely interlinked with nutrition, environmental sustainability, trade, inclusive finance, women’s empowerment and many other issues. Greater focus on these interlinkages will enable stakeholders in different sectors to develop more holistic, lasting solutions.

– Understanding and leveraging new technologies: By targeting producers, consumers or key enablers of the food value chain, new technologies may provide one avenue of opportunity to achieve breakthroughs in productivity, efficiency, nutrition and sustainability. However, a combination of smart policy and people-focused innovation will be needed to ensure that the potential benefits of new technologies are constructively harnessed and widely accessible.

2

– Strengthening delivery structures: Greater funding resources, strengthened governance structures and more rigorous M&E are needed to support country and regional partnership platforms.

2. World Economic Forum System Initiative on Shaping the Future of Food Security and Agriculture

The System Initiative works to build inclusive, sustainable, efficient and nutritious food systems through leadership-driven, market-based action and collaboration aligned with the SDGs. It catalyses and accelerates action by providing leaders with new insights and knowledge, and by facilitating innovative models of partnership and collaboration.

Moreover, it engages a diverse global network of 600 organizations that align efforts and collaborate to advance progress in the food system. These activities, and the key groups that drive them, are outlined below.

Global leadership groups: At the leadership level, the System Initiative is guided by the Global Agenda Stewards on Food Security and Agriculture, a multistakeholder group of global leaders who convene annually in Davos-Klosters to shape the global agenda and advise the Forum. The Global Future Council on Food Security and Agriculture engages leading experts to develop new insights and elevate evidence-based priorities. The Partners Group engages Forum Partner companies and organizations to champion market-led initiatives and provide strategic guidance on the portfolio of activity in the System Initiative.

Strengthening Global Food Systems

• Grow Africa: Partnerships in 12 countries to implement investment commitments

• Grow Asia: Partnerships in 5 ASEAN countries to reach 10 million smallholder farmers by 2020

• NVA India: Partners in 3 states advancing value chain priorities

• NVA Latin America: Partnerships in 3 countries and regional collaboration

New Vision for Agriculture

SYSTEM INITIATIVE ON SHAPING THE FUTURE OF FOOD SECURITY AND AGRICULTURE

CORE COMMUNITY

• Food Systems Insight: Systems mapping and future scenarios to support decision-making

• Platform Collaboration: Partner-driven initiatives on Healthy Diets and Sustainable Landscapes

• Transformation Leaders Network: Communityfor 150 action leaders to collaborate and exchange best practices

Stewardship Board • Global Future Council • Partners Group

Global Leadership Groups

The NVA delivers partnership facilitation and development, global leadership engagement and best practice exchange to:

This project works to improve global food systems through leadership collaboration, insight and knowledge exchange, through:

The System Initiative focuses its project activity in two broad categories:

– Strengthening global food systems: Activity includes developing new insights to inform leadership decision-making, such as through mapping food systems and developing future scenarios. It also entails the support of partner-driven initiatives to achieve healthy diets and sustainable landscapes, and the promotion of collaboration and best-practice exchange among action leaders through the Transformation Leaders Network.

– Realizing the New Vision for Agriculture: This activity strengthens country-led multistakeholder collaboration in 21 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, and includes the Grow Africa and Grow Asia regional platforms, as well as initiatives in several Latin American countries and Indian states. The country-led partnership model developed through the NVA is now being widely shared within and beyond the agricultural sector.

The progress to date and 2017 plans for specific projects are summarized in the following table.

3

Table 1: Summary of Progress to Date and 2017 PlansSummary of Progress to Date and 2017 Plans

Project 2016 Progress 2017 Plans

Strengthening Global Food Systems

Food Systems Insight

– Developed a mapping of global food system trends, challenges and opportunities for the Stewards

– Supported the development of a Global Food Systems Index concept

– Defined a global agenda for action through the new Global Future Council on the Future of Food Security

– Launch and share scenarios for the future of global food systems

– Explore the potential to develop a new work stream on innovation and Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies for food systems, focused on “Innovation with a Purpose”

Platform Collaboration

– Supported the Patient Procurement Platform development and launch by 5 companies, the WFP, AGRA and Grow Africa

– Scoped Healthy Diets and Sustainable Landscapes “nexus” areas, including key initiatives, actors and opportunities for action

– Support partner-driven agenda for action, including a “100 Resilient Landscapes” concept, for Sustainable Landscapes

– Support the SUN Movement, EAT Foundation and other initiatives for Healthy Diets

Transformation Leaders Network

– Expanded the network, adding more expertise in technology innovation, Latin America and business

– Delivered a 2-day interactive workshop to facilitate exchange of best practice, capacity building and collaboration

– Engage network members to shape and drive work on Sustainable Landscapes, Healthy Diets and technology innovation

– Provide partnership training and capacity building at regional level

Realizing the New Vision for Agriculture

Grow Africa – Advanced implementation of private-sector investment commitments to $2.3 billion, reaching nearly 10 million farmers and creating 80,000 jobs

– Transitioned the Secretariat to NEPAD Agency; hired a new Executive Director

– Refreshed strategy and developed 12 country plans

– Engaged leaders through the Grow Africa Investment Forum

– Hired a new Executive Director, William Asiko, effective May 2016

– Review and refresh portfolio of investment commitments

– Generate new investment opportunities focused on priority value chains and country plans

– Facilitate public-private dialogue on policy and enabling environment

– Strengthen leadership momentum and engagement through the Grow Africa Investment Forum

– Secure adequate resourcing

Grow Asia – Supported expansion of 5 country partnerships to 34 value chains engaging 450,000 farmers, boosting yields and reducing emissions

– Developed innovative digital platform to empower farmers

– Engaged leaders through the Grow Asia Forum and governing councils

– Hired a new Executive Director, Grahame Dixie, effective Nov. 2016

– Support Philippines and Cambodia in developing new partnerships; and Indonesia, Vietnam and Myanmar in expanding existing efforts

– Develop scaling strategies leveraging digital and other tools to advance progress towards goal of reaching 10 million smallholder farmers by 2020

– Expand leadership engagement through the Grow Asia Forum

NVA Latin America – Supported country partnerships in Mexico and Nicaragua

– Engaged Colombian government and business commitment to action

– Engaged key regional organizations to collaborate on facilitating public-private partnerships

– Support Colombia in developing and launching a partnership initiative

– Work with Argentina to co-convene a regional public-private dialogue

– Develop a regional strategy for enabling and accelerating PPPs

NVA India – Supported Maharashtra and Karnataka partnerships

– Catalysed and developed Andhra Pradesh partnership

– Engaged 5 state governments and expanded national network of champions

– Advance partnerships in existing states to reach ambitious goals

– Engage national champions to share the model with additional states

– Establish a secretariat to support PPP efforts across states, based on adequate resources and partners

4

3. Priority Actions and Opportunities in the Year Ahead

The Stewards are invited to provide strategic guidance, championship and support for the System Initiative’s proposed areas of work during 2017, which are summarized below.

Overall, the System Initiative will build on its track record as a driver of transformational vision, leadership commitment and partnership while seeking to constantly improve and strengthen its impact. It will serve as a distinctive global platform for innovation, collaboration and transformational thinking among leading companies, governments and the many diverse stakeholders within and related to global food systems. This will include:

Strengthening global food systems

– New activity around “Innovation with a Purpose” will include: 1) a dialogue series on the role of technology in agriculture and food security in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution; 2) an insights report on the role of technology in transforming food systems; and 3) the matching of tangible needs in country-led PPPs with technology providers.

– Continuing work will: 1) promote insight exchange through sharing the food systems scenarios and facilitating the Transformation Leaders Network; and 2) support partner-driven initiatives in the thematic “nexus” areas of sustainable landscapes and healthy diets.

Realizing the New Vision for Agriculture

– New expanded efforts in Latin America will: 1) engage Colombia, Argentina and other countries; and 2) work with regional organizations to develop a joint strategy for supporting PPPs in sustainable agriculture. In India, partners will be secured to help establish a secretariat to support PPP activity across multiple states.

– Continuing work will: 1) support and scale the impact of Grow Africa and Grow Asia; and 2) look to share and encourage adoption of the NVA country-partnership model broadly.

The System Initiative will contribute to the new strategy of the World Economic Forum by promoting system leadership across its global stakeholder networks; by exploring the implications of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in the food system; and by serving as a platform to support and accelerate partner-driven initiatives. It will also continue to develop interlinkages with the following Forum System Initiatives: Shaping the Future of Health and Healthcare (related to nutrition issues); Shaping the Future of Environment and Natural Resource Security (related to climate, water and forests); Shaping the Future of International Trade and Investment; and Shaping the Future of Economic Growth and Social Inclusion (related to economic policies affecting agriculture).

The System Initiative will focus on mobilizing its networks and sharing its partnership models in support of the SDGs – particularly SDG 2, which pledges to end hunger and develop sustainable food systems, and other SDGs that are closely interlinked.

5