Sustainable Agrifood Systems Intelligence (SASI)
FAO Investment Centre
Agrifood systems concern the way our food is produced, processed, transported, traded, distributed, consumed and disposed of. Population growth, urbanization, shifting wealth and changing consumption patterns are straining these systems, jeopardizing their ability to provide healthy food and sustainable livelihoods.
Agrifood systems produce about one- third of global greenhouse gas emissions and consume large amounts of natural resources, especially water. They also contribute to critical biodiversity loss and land degradation, threatening the very existence of agriculture for future generations. All this underscores the urgent need to sustainably transform agrifood systems.
At a glance
- FAO, the European Union and the Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD) launched the Sustainable Agrifood Systems Transformation Initiative (SASTI) in 2020 to conduct large-scale agrifood system assessments and consultations in nearly 50 countries. This effort gathered evidence and knowledge around four core goals: food security, nutrition and health; inclusive economic growth; territorial development and equity; and the environment.
- They published 41 country profiles stemming from these assessments, which help to identify entry points for innovative policy and investment solutions.
- FAO, the European Union and Agrinatura – a consortium of European research institutions – initiated a new phase known as Sustainable Agrifood Systems Intelligence (SASI). The goal is to improve the availability of knowledge and guidance on the institutions, policies and investments needed to accelerate the transition to sustainable agrifood systems.
- Building on these assessments, the FAO Investment Centre is working with countries to support institutional platforms to address the diverse challenges and opportunities in transitioning to sustainable agrifood systems, with an emphasis on evidence-based data, collective problem solving, strengthened capacities and strategic communication. This work is now under way in Bhutan, Colombia and Sierra Leone.
Related links
Latest stories
Promoting sustainable agrifood systems in Sierra Leone through behavioural science
16/04/2025
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the European Union (EU) partnered with students from top ranked universities to design creative solutions that harness behavioural science to support sustainable agrifood systems in developing countries.
Agrifood system stakeholders committed to concrete action to implement and achieve Feed Salone Pillar 3 in Sierra Leone
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The Feed Salone Strategy aims to boost food security and inclusive economic growth in Sierra Leone through investments. Pillar 3 focuses on enhancing the aggregation, processing, and marketing of agrifood products to increase competitiveness – domestically and on international markets – as well as to improve food security to drive the transformation of the agrifood sector in Sierra Leone.
_resized.tmb-th600x400.jpeg?Culture=en&sfvrsn=b945092c_1 "UN Photo _ Lucien Rajaonin (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)_resized")
Sustainable Agrifood Systems in Sierra Leone: From Strategy to Implementation Plan
18/11/2024
A concrete action plan was recently designed to strengthen the food value chain by better linking farmers to markets and enhancing capacities for food production and processing in Sierra Leone.
Consumer-oriented policies and investments crucial to ensure food security
04/11/2024
“Do not be afraid to invest in consumers to help farmers.” That was the key message underlining the recent event organized by Agrinatura, the FAO Investment Centre and the European Union on the sidelines of the 52nd Committee on World Food Security.
Investing in agri-logistic infrastructure for greater market access in Bhutan: learning from Rome’s wholesale market
22/10/2024
A delegation from the Bhutanese Government led by H.E. Younten Phuntsho, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, visited Rome’s wholesales market (Centro Agroalimentare di Roma – CAR) on 16 October 2024 to learn about its organization and business model.
.tmb-th600x400.jpg?Culture=en&sfvrsn=a52b5704_2 "Colombia: four territories, diverse challenges to invest in sustainable and inclusive agrifood systems © Santiago La Rotta (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)")
Colombia: four territories, diverse challenges to invest in sustainable and inclusive agrifood systems
10/10/2024
The FAO Investment Centre, the European Union and Agrinatura have supported the territories of Nariño Centro, Montes de María, Altiplano Cundiboyacense and Valle del Cauca.
Catalyzing the transition to sustainable and inclusive agrifood systems in Bhutan
06/08/2024
Building on its agrifood systems assessments and through its 13th Five Year Plan, the Government of Bhutan is engaged in a long-term transformation towards sustainable and inclusive agrifood systems. The European Union, FAO and Agrinatura support this effort. What will it entail for the country?
Transitioning to sustainable agrifood systems in Colombia: a territorial focus on three regions
06/08/2024
As Colombia prepares its agrifood systems transformation, initial workshops with local agriculture and food stakeholders were organized in the three selected pilot territories of Nariño Centro, Montes de María, and the Altiplano Cundiboyacense.
Climate Finance: an instrument for sustainable agrifood system transformation in Sierra Leone
05/08/2024
Agrifood systems are highly vulnerable to climate change. Accessing climate finance can help transition to more climate-resilient agricultural practices and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Government officials, development partners, financial institutions and civil society organizations in Sierra Leone participated in a two-day training on climate finance for agrifood systems.
Sierra Leone: from assessment to concrete action for sustainable food systems
04/06/2024
A wind of change is blowing in Sierra Leone, one that will help ensure the people’s access to more locally produced, sustainable and nutritious food. With the ‘Feed Salone Strategy’, the Government intends to mobilize investments to boost agricultural productivity as part of its plan to enhance food security and inclusive economic growth.
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