Hand-in-Hand: Targeted & Collective Action for Sustainable Agricultural Transformation
Channel: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Date: 31/08/2020

http://www.fao.org/hand-in-hand/en/

Hand-in-Hand (HIH) is an evidence-based, country-led and country-owned initiative of the Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to accelerate agricultural transformation
and sustainable rural development to eradicate poverty (SDG 1) and end hunger and all forms of
malnutrition (SDG 2). By promoting progress to achieve SDGs 1 and 2, foundational objectives of the
2030 Agenda, HIH contributes to the attainment of all the other SDGs.

The initiative adopts a robust matchmaking approach that proactively brings together beneficiary
countries with donors, private sector organizations, international financial institutions (IFIs), research institutions, and civil society organizations to mobilize means of implementation that support accelerated action. HIH prioritizes countries and territories within countries where poverty and hunger are most concentrated or where national capacities are most limited owing to history, conflict or natural disasters. It also introduces a framework for monitoring and impact analysis.

To guide concerted action among partners and in keeping with national sustainable development
priorities, the initiative deploys sophisticated tools, including advanced geospatial modelling and
analytics, to identify the largest opportunities to raise the incomes and reduce the inequities and
vulnerabilities of the rural poor. It uses these tools to present an evidence-based view of economic
opportunities and to improve targeting and tailoring of policy interventions, innovation, finance and
investment, and institutional reform.

HIH adopts a market-oriented agri-food systems approach to increase the quantity, quality,
diversity and accessibility of nutritious foods available in local, territorial, national and regional food
markets while also finding additional markets for food and non-food agricultural products that enable the rural poor to improve incomes and access to healthy diets. The initiative prioritizes countries where national capacities and international support are most limited or where operational challenges, including natural or human-induced crises, are greatest. This is in keeping with the UN’s commitment to “leave no one behind.”

The HIH Initiative was launched in October 2019 when the FAO Director-General wrote to 44
countries identified as potential beneficiaries and to many other countries as potential partners. Since then, numerous contacts have been made with potential country participants, as well as donors and IFIs, private sector entities, research institutions and civil society organizations who have expressed interest in participating in the initiative.

To date, Burkina Faso, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kiribati, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic,
Mali, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tajikistan, Tuvalu, Yemen and
Zimbabwe have confirmed participation. Several contributor countries have expressed initial interest
in working with the initiative in select locations, and another 20 countries, including middle-income
countries with large populations or high levels of rural poverty, have expressed interest in participating in HIH as either beneficiaries or both beneficiaries and donors. The outreach to countries is also generating proposals for South-South and interregional partnerships.

The remainder of this progress report outlines progress in development and implementation of
HIH as it has developed during the first half of 2020. It begins by explaining why a new approach to
FAO country programming is necessary, highlights six principles guiding the HIH, provides selection
criteria for beneficiary countries, explains how the approach is being supported by the Organization
and operationalized to strengthen national ownership in current countries, details progress made
toward development of the main technical supports provided by HIH, and explains how HIH will
conduct matchmaking and provide coordination, transparency and mutual accountability to all
stakeholders for performance while also providing regular reporting to FAO Governing Bodies, annual review, and quadrennial impact assessment.

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