CFS 54 Side Event (SE18) – Investing Smarter: A Return on Investment Case for Agrifood Systems

21 October 2026 | Hybrid | Ethiopia Room, FAO HQ, Rome, Italy At the CFS 54 side event on 21 October 2026, the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development (GDPRD) and its partners shared emerging findings from their work on Return on Investment (ROI) in Agrifood Systems, exploring how investments in agrifood systems can be framed not as a cost, but as a driver of economic prosperity, resilience, nutrition, environmental sustainability and social stability. Against a backdrop of declining development assistance and growing fiscal pressures, speakers highlighted evidence that past investments have generated significant returns across multiple dimensions, while warning of the rising costs of inaction. Discussions emphasized the need for a broader approach to ROI that captures societal value beyond traditional financial metrics, strengthens evidence on private and blended finance, and supports more effective engagement with policymakers and investors. Feedback from the event will help refine the GDPRD's ROI work ahead of its official launch at the Annual General Assembly on 2 December 2026 in Dublin. Speakers: Thijs Woudstra, Head of Food and Nutrition Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands; GDPRD Co-Chair and Champion of the ROI in Agrifood Systems Workstream Máximo Torero Cullen, Chief Economist, FAO Jim Woodhill, Senior Advisor, GDPRD Mandakini Surie, Senior Advisor, GDPRD Johan Swinnen, Director General, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Stineke Oenema, Senior Policy Advisor, Food Security and Nutrition, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands Isabel Szollosy, Advisor, Food Systems and Nutrition Division, International Assistance Partnerships and Programming Branch, Global Affairs Canada Carin Smaller, Executive Director, Shamba Centre for Food & Climate Thierry Latreille, Lead Global Technical Advisor, Agri-PDB Platform Alice Ruhweza, President, AGRA (Paul Thangata on behalf of) Ron Hartman, Director, Global Engagement, Partnerships and Resource Mobilization, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) CO-ORGANIZERS Global Donor Platform for Rural Development (GDPRD); International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); The Government of the Netherlands; Global Affairs Canada; Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN); Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); Agrinatura/Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; AGRA; Agri-PDB Platform Recording courtesy of FAO Audio Visual