As food systems emerge as a central nexus for environmental, socioeconomic, and climate challenges, the GEF has increasingly invested in integrated, multi-country programs intended to drive systems-level change.

With multiple food systems programs now completed or underway across GEF-6 to GEF-8, this evaluation examines whether—and how—these investments have operationalized a comprehensive food systems approach across design and implementation, from local landscapes to global value chains.

GEF food systems programs primarily address environmental impacts at the production stage, while more recent programming reflects emerging attention to markets, consumers, and value-chain integration.

Evaluation overview

• The evaluation assessed the extent to which GEF food systems programs and their component projects adopted a comprehensive food systems approach in design and implementation.
• Performance was strongest where policy and planning reforms were paired with community- and landscape-level interventions and enabled by early coordination; results were uneven where designs were overambitious or unclear, attention to political and sociocultural drivers was limited, and monitoring and coordination mechanisms were weak.
• The report recommends sharpening program focus and phasing across replenishment periods, expanding engagement beyond production to strengthen vertical value-chain integration, and strengthening political economy analysis and country-level knowledge uptake.

Methodology

The evaluation covers food systems projects from GEF-6 through GEF-8, using portfolio analysis, policy reviews, and case studies in multiple countries.