Hunger and malnutrition not only endanger the health of people but pose a significant threat to the overall development of a country. The SDC is committed to ensuring adequate, sufficient and good-quality food for all, taking into account the entire food value chain: from the fields where food is produced, to storage and processing, markets, trade, transport and up to consumers via diet.
The SDC works worldwide to secure the human right to adequate food. It designs its activities with the aim of giving poorer and disadvantaged population groups, such as smallholder farmers, women and young people, equal access to education, productive resources and markets. The SDC helps them to make productive but sustainable use of natural resources and supports them in dealing with the effects of climate change, with the storage and marketing of their produce and with continuous adaptation to changing environmental conditions. Throughout all these endeavors, the SDC persistently pays special attention to the preservation of the highly endangered biodiversity in each context. It also promotes needs-oriented research and advisory services.
In addition, the SDC encourages innovations all along the food value chain that provide consumers with a healthy and diverse diet by facilitating access to suitable foodstuffs, both in rural and in urban areas.
Sustainable agriculture ensures a healthy diet, preserves biodiversity, and is the basis for securing the human right to adequate food. With this goal in mind, Switzerland engages in international cooperation in the field of food security. The Swiss agriculture sector, with its multifunctional, family-based and environmentally-friendly food production geared to social and regional balance, acts as a role model.
Links
Documents
Global Programme Food Security: Programme Framework 2021–24 (PDF, 2.0 MB, English)
Food security: An SDC Global Programme (PDF, Number of pages 8, 1.7 MB, English)
Food security – a value-added chain (Multilaterale Akzente, September 2011, fr) (PDF, 2.2 MB)
Securing enough food for all (2007) (PDF, 6.2 MB)
Current projects
Sustainable water management for food security and nutrition in agriculture and food systems
01.04.2018
- 31.03.2027
Agriculture accounts globally for 70% freshwater use. Inefficient water use, water pollution, climate change and increasing global water demand puts agriculture under pressure, as well for smallholders. SDC can build on successful experiences in this domain and will support projects in Africa in ecologically sustainable water management in smallholder agriculture and food systems, improve smallholders’ economic and social situation and increase the resilience of their livelihoods.
Blue Lifelines – Safeguarding Wetlands in the Sahel
01.04.2018
- 30.06.2023
The relevance of wetlands for food security and nutrition is underestimated worldwide and in the Sahel in particular. Experiences from the project sites in Mali and Ethiopia and from previous efforts have the potential to change Sahelian and global approaches and to be scaled-up through attracting investments by international financing institutions. The project is implemented by Wetlands International, Caritas Switzerland and a Swiss technology company hydrosolutions Ltd.
Proyecto de Apoyo a una Agricultura Sostenible en Cuba PAAS
01.04.2018
- 31.12.2021
PAAS promueve las bases de un modelo de gestión para el autoabastecimiento local de alimentos, en 22 municipios, que involucra a instituciones, gobiernos, productores y consumidores, y fomenta mejoras en la producción agroecológica, procesamiento, certificación y comercialización a nivel local para 6 cadenas de valor (frutas, miel, hortalizas, oleaginosas, yuca y pollo); a la vez que se genera confianza de los consumidores, mayor acceso a alimentos sanos y nuevos empleos.
RUNRES: The rural-urban nexus: Establishing a nutrient loop to improve city region food systems.
01.04.2018
- 30.04.2023
Implemented by the Institute for sustainable Agroecosystems of ETHZ, RUNRES will seek to improve the resilience and sustainability of food systems in four different rural-urban regions across Africa. It will encourage nutrient & waste recycling by installing and redirecting the byproducts of innovative, ecological, hygienically safe sanitation solutions. The organic matter may then serve as an input for smallholder producers to generate a circular flow of nutrients in agriculture, reinvigorating thus regional food systems.
Programme d'Appui à la Promotion de l'Entreprenariat Agricole (PAPEA)
01.03.2018
- 31.05.2023
Au Burkina Faso, les entreprises agricoles sont peu développées et à prédominance informelles et individuelles. Les contraintes multiples, dont le faible accès aux services non financiers et financiers, réduisent leur productivité et créent moins de valeur ajoutée. S’appuyant sur l’expertise suisse en matière d’inclusion financière, la DDC soutiendra le secteur privé agricole (micro et petites entreprises) afin de créer des emplois décents pour les jeunes et des femmes et ainsi contribuer à réduire la pauvreté.
Entrepreneuriats Stratégiques Pour des Opportunités d’Investissements Renforcés (ESPOIR)
01.03.2018
- 30.06.2022
Ce programme contribue à l’émergence des microentreprises privées béninoises de jeunes et des Petites et Moyennes Entreprises (PME) agroalimentaires pour assurer une croissance économique durable, une augmentation d’emplois et de revenus, et une alimentation nutritive (sécurité alimentaire). Il porte l’espoir de toute une génération d’entrepreneurs, et permet de répondre en partie au défi démographique par la création d’emplois.
GPFS Innovation Platforms
01.02.2018
- 31.12.2021
Since an improved participation of all agricultural stakeholders in research, innovation and development discussions is crucial for finding solutions to feed 9 Billion people by 2050, SDC supports networks which emphasize dynamic relationships between a broad range of social actors (e.g. farmers, scientists, private sector, civil society etc.) to facilitate exchange of information and experience among agricultural stakeholders.
PIAL – “Proyecto para fortalecer un Sistema de Innovación Agropecuaria para el Desarrollo Local”
01.02.2018
- 31.07.2022
PIAL fomenta capacidades locales para gestionar los problemas de las cadenas agro-alimentarias en 75 municipios, contribuyendo al incremento de la disponibilidad de alimentos. Así, se institucionaliza y extiende en el país un Sistema de Innovación Agropecuaria Local (SIAL), con espacios y mecanismos para la participación de agricultores, autoridades y otros actores locales en la solución de estos problemas.
Inovagro Private Sector Led Rural Growth
02.01.2018
- 31.12.2021
Inovagro aims at increasing the incomes of poor farmers in Northern Mozambique, through ‘pro-poor’ private sector development. It improves farmers’ access to inputs and markets through local private, public and civil society partners. Phase III will consolidate the work of previous phases and focus on scale-up and replicability of successful interventions. There will also be a stronger focus on women inclusion, risk reduction, communication and knowledge sharing based on lessons learnt over the past years.
Crop Trust – Genebank Platform 2018
01.01.2018
- 31.12.2018
The Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) safeguards globally important collections of crop diversity critical for improving food and nutrition security. Genebanks require constant maintenance. The Crop Trust Endowment Fund ensures the long-term funding for the maintenance of these genebanks. The unique bilateral contribution by Switzerland contributes to safeguarding (and building up of) the Endowment Fund.
Programme d’appui à une gouvernance agricole inclusive en Haïti (PAGAI)
01.01.2018
- 31.12.2029
Le programme PAGAI vise à améliorer l’accès de 55’000 exploitations familiales haïtiennes à un cadre politique et des services agricoles appropriés. Pour y arriver, le programme va accompagner les organisations des producteurs ruraux (organisations paysannes), qui seront renforcées dans leur gouvernance interne, dans leur rôle de concertation/négociation de services et dans leur capacité de défendre les intérêts et plaider pour les paysannes et paysans d’Haïti.
Rural Markets
01.01.2018
- 31.12.2021
Rural Household Production Units experience various difficulties preventing them from establishing themselves sustainably and competitively in the market. The Rural Markets project successfully applied the market systems development approach. It now aims to induce systemic changes and a scaling up of markets for producers in new regions of productive potential. Support of non-financial services combined with financial services will establish synergies between public and private actors.