The Government of Cameroon, with support from the Joint SDG Fund and the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, and in partnership with the United Nations system officially launched the CONVERGEFOOD Joint Programme on 25 March – an integrated initiative designed to strengthen agricultural value chains, expand access to finance, and connect smallholder farmers and agri-enterprises to reliable and inclusive markets, particularly in underserved and last-mile areas. Launched alongside the implementation phase of the EU-funded Scalable Success Model (SSM) project, this marks a significant step forward in accelerating food systems transformation in the country.
Led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER), the initiative is coordinated by the Food Systems National Convenor, with strategic guidance from the United Nations Resident Coordinator's Office. It is jointly implemented by the World Food Programme (WFP), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF). Three other UN agencies have already expressed interest in joining phase II, starting next year 2027. That renders this programme a whole-of-UN package of support to the Government, making systemic approaches to food systems a reality and avoiding siloed programmes or single-ministry interventions.
Cameroon continues to face significant food security challenges with 3.3 million people experiencing acute food insecurity, particularly in the Far North, North and East regions. In the most affected areas, up to 64 percent of households are severely food insecure, often exhausting their food stocks in less than one month.
These pressures are compounded by climate shocks, such as recent droughts and floods affecting several regions, economic constraints, and limited access to markets and finance. The CONVERGEFOOD Joint Programme responds to this urgent context by translating national commitment into concrete action. It is the first of the bankable projects presented by the National Convenor that has received funds.
“This joint programme demonstrates how the United Nations system delivers as one to support Cameroon’s national development priorities,” said Dr. Issa Sanogo, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Cameroon.
"By bringing together expertise across agencies and strengthening partnerships with the government, financial institutions and development partners, we are catalyzing investments and accelerating progress toward resilient and inclusive food systems.”
Government leadership remains central to this effort, highlighting that food systems transformation extends beyond a single ministry and requires coordinated action across sectors under a shared set of priorities, as outlined in Cameroon’s Convergence Action Blueprint.
“The Government of Cameroon is committed to transforming its food systems to ensure food security, strengthen resilience, and create economic opportunities for our population, particularly women and youth in rural areas," said Gabriel Mbairobe, Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER). "
Through the CONVERGEFOOD Joint Programme, we are accelerating the implementation of our national roadmap by aligning investments, de-risking the private sector financial sector, strengthening value chains for local markets and import substitution, and supporting smallholder producers across the country.”
Anchored in Cameroon's Food Systems Transformation Roadmap and the Convergence Action Blueprint, the programme aligns priorities in food, climate, nutrition, and biodiversity, while also contributing to national climate commitments. It directly advances the three priorities identified in the 2025 Convergence Action Blueprint: rice value chains, agroecological production of staples and livestock, and import substitution.
“Food systems transformation is central to Cameroon’s climate action agenda,” said Pierre Hélé, Minister of the Ministry of Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development (MINEPDED).
“This initiative strengthens our capacity to promote climate-resilient agriculture and livestock, protect biodiversity and support sustainable livelihoods for communities. It fulfils Cameroon’s commitments and priorities included in the National Adaptation Plan, the Nationally-Determined Contribution and the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan presented in COP30.”
The initiative will initially focus on the Far North, Adamawa, and East regions, targeting four priority value chains: rice, cassava, eggs, and dairy products. Through a coordinated and multisectoral approach, it will strengthen governance systems, improve food processing and safety infrastructure, promote climate-smart and agroecological production practices, and expand income and employment opportunities for smallholder farmers, women, and young people.
A key feature of CONVERGEFOOD is its focus on mobilizing and de-risking private sector investment through a Blended Finance Mechanism, including a Guarantee Fund and a Disbursement Fund. This mechanism aims to increase financial flows to cooperatives and small and medium enterprises across the four priority value chains. This component is led by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) during the second phase of the project, starting in 2027, with funding provided by the Government of Cameroon through a loan from the Islamic Development Bank under the Global Flagship Initiative for Food Security.
During an early presentation of this project at the UN General Assembly side event in New York (September 2025), the UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed described CONVERGEFOOD as “UN reform in action, delivering as one and aligning mandates… more than coordination: it is a catalyst for action”.
As a central pillar of international efforts to accelerate food systems transformation, the Global Flagship Initiative for Food Security supports countries in developing investment-ready pipelines, mobilising blended finance at scale, and aligning development partners around nationally led priorities. Cameroon represents the first country-level implementations of this approach, demonstrating how coordinated platforms can translate national strategies into large-scale, investable programmes.
“The Global Flagship Initiative is about moving from strategy to investment and from commitment to implementation,” said Dr. Conrad Rein, Secretary-General of the Initiative.
“Cameroon is demonstrating how country-led platforms can unlock coordinated financing and deliver tangible results on the ground. The next step is to replicate and scale this model across other countries, adapting it to national contexts while maintaining the same level of ambition and partnership.”
Moreover, the European Union, through its support for the SSM project, also aligns their support to Cameroon food systems with the ConvergeFood initiative, contributing to strengthening institutional coordination and enabling the scaling up of food systems transformation efforts.
“The European Union is proud to support Cameroon in advancing sustainable and inclusive food systems,” said Jean-Marc Châtaigner, Ambassador of the European Union Delegation to Cameroon.
“Through the Scalable Success Model, we are helping to unlock investments, strengthen institutions, and support initiatives that deliver tangible benefits for rural communities.”
The launch event brought together senior representatives from government ministries, development partners, financial institutions, cooperatives, and private sector actors, reinforcing a shared commitment to coordinated action and investment. The programme is expected to catalyze additional private investments for priority value chains, including mobilizing further financing to scale up support to cooperatives and agri-enterprises across the country. It aims to contribute to sustainable economic growth, improved food security, and increased resilience to climate shocks.
________________________________________________________________________
About the CONVERGEFOOD Joint Programme
The CONVERGEFOOD Joint Programme is a government-led initiative supported by the Joint SDG Fund and UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, and implemented through a coordinated United Nations approach. It aims to accelerate the implementation of Cameroon's Food Systems Transformation Roadmap and the Convergence Action Blueprint by strengthening agricultural value chains, expanding access to finance, and promoting sustainable, inclusive, and climate-resilient food systems. The programme focuses on key value chains, including rice, cassava, eggs, and dairy products, with initial implementation in the Far North, Adamawa, and East regions.
About the United Nations in Cameroon
The United Nations system in Cameroon supports the Government in achieving sustainable development through coordinated action across its agencies, funds, and programmes, under the leadership of the United Nations Resident Coordinator. The UN works closely with national institutions and partners to advance food security, climate resilience, economic development, and social inclusion in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
About the World Food Programme (WFP)
The World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian organization, providing life-saving food assistance in emergencies and supporting communities to build resilience and improve food security. In Cameroon, WFP assists vulnerable populations through emergency food aid, school feeding programmes, nutrition interventions, and initiatives that strengthen livelihoods and improve market access for smallholder farmers.
About the Food Agriculture Organization (FAO)
FAO leads international efforts to combat hunger and improve nutrition and food security. In Cameroon, FAO supports sustainable agricultural production, strengthens food systems, and promotes climate-smart practices. It collaborates with the government and partners to enhance rural livelihoods and ensure access to safe and nutritious food.
About the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP is the leading global authority on the environment, supporting countries in advancing environmental sustainability and climate action. In Cameroon, UNEP collaborates with national partners to promote sustainable natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience, including initiatives that integrate environmental considerations into the transformation of food systems.
About the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
UNIDO promotes inclusive and sustainable industrial development by supporting countries in building productive capacities, strengthening value chains, and enhancing competitiveness. In Cameroon, UNIDO contributes to the development of agro-industrial value chains, improves processing and quality standards, and supports innovation and market access for small and medium-sized enterprises.
About the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)
UNCDF mobilizes and catalyses an increase in capital flows for impactful investments in high-risk markets, especially in Least Developed Countries, Small Island Developing States and countries in special situations. By crowding in capital through the deployment of risk-absorbing financial instruments, mechanisms and structuring advisory, UNCDF contributes to job creation, sustained economic growth and equitable prosperity in nearly 70 countries. In partnership with UN entities and development partners, UNCDF operates with speed and agility to deliver scalable, blended finance solutions to drive systemic change and pave the way for commercial finance and scale up by development finance institutions and multilateral development banks.
About the Joint SDG Fund
The Joint SDG Fund is a United Nations inter-agency mechanism that supports countries in accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals through integrated and transformative approaches. It enables coordinated action across UN agencies and partners, mobilising resources to deliver impact at scale and support national development priorities. This joint programme is supported by the Joint SDG Fund in collaboration with the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub. All joint programmes of the Joint SDG Fund are led by UN Resident Coordinators and implemented by the agencies, funds, and programmes of the United Nations development system. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.
About the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub
UN Food Systems Coordination Hub was established in 2022 and is hosted by FAO on behalf of the UN System and supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Food Programme (WFP), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Development Coordination Office (UNDCO). The Hub’s primary role is to support countries to develop further and implement their national food systems transformation pathways. To accelerate food systems transformations, the Hub takes an essential coordination role that brings together relevant UN agencies, coalitions, international financial institutions, the private sector and other supporting actors to galvanize food systems knowledge and expertise in support of countries’ action.
About the European Union
The European Union is a key partner in supporting sustainable development, climate action, and inclusive economic growth worldwide. In Cameroon, the EU supports initiatives that strengthen food systems, promote rural development, enhance resilience to climate change, and foster economic opportunities, including support for the Scalable Success Model project.
About the Global Flagship Initiative for Food Security
The Global Flagship Initiative for Food Security was launched on Agri-Food Systems Day at the UNCCD COP16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 5 December 2024. It emerged from a partnership between the Arab Coordination Group, including AGFUND, BADEA, IsDB, and the OPEC Fund, with a potential commitment of up to USD 10 billion by 2030. It represents a unified global effort to combat food insecurity and accelerate progress towards SDG2 by prioritizing cost-effective, scalable, science-driven solutions in IGAD countries and Sahel regions. It also aligns with global efforts to scale up sustainable development financing through public-private partnerships, concessional finance, and de-risking mechanisms.
