Global Flagship Initiative for Food Security Brings Together International Stakeholders to Address Global Hunger

14 May 2025

BONN, GERMANY, May 14, 2025 – On May 12-13, global leaders and experts convened in Bonn, Germany, for the first stakeholder meeting of the Global Flagship Initiative for Food Security.

With an estimated 735 million people affected by hunger, the need for urgent, science-driven, and sustainable solutions has never been clearer. The Flagship Initiative offers a unified response – mobilizing innovation, investment, and international cooperation to scale up transformative food systems approaches, particularly in Africa.

The meeting brought together high-level representatives from development funds, government agencies, private sector actors and multilateral institutions. Participants shared actions their organizations are taking to enhance food security. Then, a series of focused dialogues helped shape the strategic direction of the Flagship Initiative. The discussions emphasized the need to accelerate the adoption of sustainable agricultural innovations and align efforts across sectors.

The Flagship Initiative is a five-year collaborative effort designed to identify, scale, and promote cost-effective, science-based innovations to improve food security and build more resilient agri-food systems. It prioritizes private-sector engagement to ensure solutions are commercially viable and scalable over time.

Open to all stakeholders committed to SDG #2: Zero Hunger, the Flagship Initiative serves as a platform to foster bold partnerships among governments, international organizations, financial institutions, and private entities. By leveraging innovation and amplifying global cooperation, the Flagship Initiative aims to deliver long-lasting impact in the regions most affected by food insecurity.

Originally launched on Agrifood Systems Day of the COP16 UN Desertification Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the Flagship Initiative is backed by a coalition of influential partners. These include the Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND), UNCCD, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the OPEC Fund, the Crop Trust, and the Innovation Commission for Climate Change, Food Security, and Agriculture at the University of Chicago.

The Crop Trust, a global organization dedicated to securing the world’s crop diversity, hosts the Secretariat of the Flagship Initiative at its headquarters in Bonn, Germany.

As food insecurity intensifies under the pressure of climate change, conflict, and environmental degradation, the Global Flagship Initiative for Food Security offers a vital mechanism for scaling solutions that are rooted in science, driven by collaboration and focused on real-world impact.

Notable Quotes

The first Stakeholder Meeting of the Global Flagship Initiative for Food Security brought together leading voices in food security and development to chart the course forward.

Dr. Stefan Schmitz, Executive Director of the Crop Trust, said, “Ensuring global food security requires an immense effort by many different actors. Conserving crop diversity is the foundation for resilient, productive and sustainable agri-food systems. Now, we need more collaboration and alignment to truly transform agriculture and secure the future of food. The Crop Trust is proud to support the first Flagship Initiative stakeholder meeting and help bring the right leaders together to accelerate this transformation.”

Dr. Nasser Al-Kahtani, Executive Director of the Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND), said, “Food security is a challenge everywhere. Africa has the potential to feed the world, but they need support. It’s important to show how drylands can help people’s food security. That’s why the AGFUND is now prioritizing smallholder farmers and giving priority to the IGAD countries in the Horn of Africa.”

Amb. Berik Aryn, Director General of the Islamic Organization for Food Security, said, “Much still needs to be done on hunger, building resilient food systems and securing the right to food for every human being. The Flagship Initiative should be an active voice for South-South collaboration and a platform to bring together different key stakeholders to translate commitment into results.”

Mr. Declan Kirrane, Chairperson of the Science Summit at the United Nations General Assembly (SSUNGA77), said, “The Flagship Initiative is critical because it is addressing the global development priority – food security. We need new ways to bring people together, address common challenges and pursue an inclusive approach to addressing food security challenges at a global level.”

Dr. Conrad Rein, Secretary of the Flagship Initiative, said “The Flagship Initiative is poised to reduce hunger and increase food security over the long-term. Our first stakeholder meeting showed great interest and willingness to work together by numerous leaders in different sectors. We want to build on this momentum and quickly identify opportunities for impactful action.”

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Global Flagship Initiative for Food Security 

The Global Flagship Initiative for Food Security is a five-year initiative that launched on Agri-Food Systems Day 2024 at the COP16 UN Desertification Conference in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A global coalition of development partners is leading this initiative to address food insecurity, poverty and land degradation, with a focus on the Sahel and IGAD (Horn of Africa) regions. By leveraging innovation and strengthening international cooperation, the Flagship Initiative will deliver lasting, transformative impact for food systems across Africa and beyond. The Global Flagship Initiative is hosted by the Crop Trust. Learn more at www.flagshipinitiative.org

About the Crop Trust

The Crop Trust is an international organization working to conserve crop diversity and thus protect global food and nutrition security. At the core of Crop Trust is an endowment fund dedicated to providing guaranteed long-term financial support to key genebanks worldwide. The Crop Trust supports the Svalbard Global Seed Vault and coordinates large-scale projects worldwide to secure crop diversity and make it available for use, globally forever and for the benefit of everyone. The Crop Trust is recognized as an essential element of the funding strategy of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Learn more at www.croptrust.org

 

Categories: For The Press, Press Releases, Food Security