April 2013: The Global Environmental Facility (GEF) has released a study, titled “Two Decades of Experience: Investing in Ecosystem Services and Adaptation for Food Security,” which provides an overview of the GEF’s investments in ecosystem services and improved food security system during 1991-2011.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), around 4.9 billion hectares of the planet’s land area is under cultivation. However, it is estimated that five to ten million hectares of these production areas are lost annually because of land degradation. The objective of the study is to show how investments in ecosystem services promote synergy between agriculture and environment in order to support food security. The study also showcases the positive contributions of the GEF’s allocated funds for the focal areas of land degradation, biodiversity, climate change, international waters and sustainable forest management (SFM).

The report features chapters on: context and rationale for GEF financing; analytical approach to assessment of GEF financing; trends in GEF financing for projects; GEF financing for project components and interventions; global environment and adaptation benefits; and strengthening the GEF’s role in sustainable agriculture and food security.

In total, the study assesses 192 projects, representing US$810.6 million of the GEF’s financing for agriculture and food security. Specifically, sustainable fisheries and water resource management received the largest amount of GEF Trust Fund resources (47%), followed by sustainable land management (SLM) (22% of the total grant supporting agriculture and food security), climate change adaptation (17%) and management of agricultural biodiversity (14%). Key examples of practices for enhancing environment benefits in production system highlighted in the report include: soil and nutrient management; water harvesting and use; conservation agriculture; agroforestry; agrobiodiversity; and fisheries management and aquaculture. [Publication: Two Decades of Experience: Investing in Ecosystem Services and Adaptation for Food Security] [GEF Replenishment]