Policies and finance to spur appropriate private-sector engagement in food systems: Implications for mainstreaming agrobiodiversity

In this thought piece from the Agrobiodiversity Index report 2019: Risk and resilience, the authors give examples of policies, financing mechanisms and private sector initiatives, and discuss how each approach might be support the mainstreaming of agrobiodiversity in food systems to reduce the risks of poor nutrition and improve planetary health. Key messages include:

• Industry players – from smallholder farmers to multinational companies – are critical actors in the food system and have a collective role to play in shaping and conserving agrobiodiversity.
• The private sector requires more incentives and meaningful deterrents to shift food systems towards the provision of more biodiverse, sustainable and healthy diets.
• There are public policies as well as private financing mechanisms, which appear to be improving appropriate private sector production and productivity techniques and outputs. These include fiscal policies and subsidies on the one hand, and blended financing initiatives on the other.
• In addition, a handful of large initiatives led by the private sector are helping to drive change.