Protecting food security and agriculture - Our work and impact

As the French international development cooperation agency, we help stakeholders in the agricultural and rural sectors across the world, including farmers, fishers, family farms, professional organisations, micro-businesses, SMEs, public institutions, and related government departments and ministries. We assist them in their transition to sustainable agricultural and food systems that take account of climate change, resource conservation, and food security challenges.

In line with its activities to strengthen relevant sectors, Expertise France is implementing several projects to develop the fishing and aquaculture industries. These contribute significantly to the economic development of the regions in which we operate and to the food security of many households.

Our work to support the development of sustainable and resilient agriculture, particularly in relation to climate change, has several objectives:

• Ensure a transition to sustainable agricultural and food systems that take account of climate, biodiversity and food issues
• Promote food and nutritional security, poverty reduction, and food sovereignty
• Strengthen institutions and local governance in rural, marine, and coastal areas

Our work is divided into five strategic areas:

1. Support institutions to develop and implement public policies for agriculture and rural areas as well as the blue economy 
2. Support producer organisations, family farms, micro-businesses and SMEs with their transition to agricultural and fishing practices that ensure their economic, social, and environmental sustainability
3. Strengthen competitiveness, value creation, and job creation in agricultural sectors
4. Strengthen the role of local and national institutions in the governance of the agricultural sector
5. Contribute to sustainable land use planning and promote the local governance of rural, marine, and coastal areas

At the international level, food and nutritional security has once again become a priority for development. Our agency’s work is therefore in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – in particular SDG 2 on “zero hunger” and SDG 12 on “responsible consumption and production”. It also aligns with the objectives set by the Paris Agreement and the Kunming Global Biodiversity Framework adopted in December 2022 in Montreal.

Through our work, we contribute to:

• The French international strategy for food security, nutrition and sustainable agriculture (2019–2024)
• The Food and Agriculture Resilience Mission (FARM) initiative launched under the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which aims to provide a comprehensive response to food security challenges in the context of the war in Ukraine
• France’s international cooperation goals as set by the Presidential Council for Development and the Interministerial Committee for International Cooperation and Development. These include “protecting the most vital carbon and biodiversity reserves in forests and the ocean to preserve the planet” (goal 2) and “strengthening food sovereignty, particularly in Africa" (goal 7)
• The organisation of several major events such as the One Water Summit, which France and Kazakhstan jointly organised in Riyadh in December 2024; the Nutrition for Growth Summit organised in Paris in March 2025; and the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) organised by France and Costa Rica in Nice in June 2025.
• The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) framework paper for agriculture, rural development and biodiversity, which focuses the Group’s activities around three priorities: contribute to production and green transitions; support cohesive, inclusive, resilient rural areas; and promote institutions and policies that support ecological, productive and regional and local transitions.

Our agency offers a comprehensive range of services that address a variety of issues, including rural energy, agricultural entrepreneurship, water resources, forest and ocean biodiversity, the blue economy, nutrition, food stability and security in crisis areas. We work at different levels with our international partners, offering them comprehensive, tailor-made solutions:

• Develop and implement public policies for agriculture and rural areas as well as the blue economy: We do this by establishing multi-stakeholder consultation frameworks; capacity building for relevant partners; support for the implementation of information systems; targeted studies; development of pilot projects; and monitoring and evaluation of public policies
• Support producer organisations, fishers, family farms, micro-businesses and SMEs: We facilitate the launch of agricultural consulting services; the revision and development of courses in vocational training in agriculture; training for local stakeholders; support for professional organisations; and support for access to finance.

• Strengthen the role of local and national institutions in governance: We facilitate stakeholder networking and capacity building for producer organisations & farmers’ unions; develop information systems for stakeholders in the sector; facilitate the organisation of events to promote the sector; provide legal advice, for example on changing business structure or business models; and establish collaborative forums.
• Contribute to sustainable land use planning and support local governance: We help establish resource monitoring mechanisms (fisheries information systems); develop land use planning tools; build and rehabilitate infrastructure such as rural roads and port infrastructure; fund local civil society organisations; and create stakeholder maps.

Our support therefore comes in a variety of services tailored to our partners’ needs. Our work can lead us to deploy French and European experts in agricultural development; collaborate with experts from our partner countries, both in the public and private sector; or cooperate with French and international partners, including CIRAD, the French agricultural research and cooperation organisation, AFNOR, the French standards authority, or Groupe Initiatives, the national representative body of French non-profits operating in international cooperation.