The Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP), a multilateral fund hosted by the World Bank, has launched a new US$163 million call for proposals aimed at supporting smallholder farmers in some of the world’s poorest countries at a time when global hunger remains stubbornly high.
The initiative comes amid growing concern that conflict, economic volatility, climate shocks and rising input costs are combining to push food insecurity back towards crisis levels, reversing years of progress and exposing structural weaknesses in global food systems.
A “perfect storm” for global hunger
According to GAFSP figures, 266 million people across 47 countries experienced high levels of acute food insecurity in 2025, marking one of the most severe global hunger situations on record and nearly double the proportion affected a decade ago.
Conflict remains the dominant driver, disrupting agricultural production, displacing rural populations, and restricting access to markets and humanitarian aid. However, it is no longer acting alone. GAFSP points to a convergence of pressures intensifying the crisis.
Climate shocks, including droughts and extreme weather events, are undermining crop yields and increasing production risk.
Economic volatility is eroding purchasing power and limiting government capacity to respond.
Rising fertiliser prices, linked in part to geopolitical disruptions such as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, are increasing costs for farmers.
Declining development aid, which fell 23% in 2025 – the steepest drop on record – is also constraining the global response.
This combination is creating a “perfect storm” for food systems, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected regions.
Smallholders on the front line
At the centre of the crisis are smallholder farmers, who produce a significant share of the world’s food but are among the most vulnerable to external shocks.
“Smallholder farmers feed their families and their nations, yet they are among the last to receive investment,” said Dr Shobha Shetty, head of GAFSP. “They bear the sharpest consequences of conflict, climate shocks, and economic volatility.”
The new funding call is aimed squarely at these farmers, inviting governments in low-income countries to apply for grants that can strengthen food security, improve livelihoods and build climate resilience.
Prioritising fragile and conflict-affected states
Reflecting the changing nature of food insecurity, the ninth GAFSP call places a strong emphasis on fragile and conflict-affected states, which already account for around 60% of the fund’s existing grant portfolio.
These regions are seen as the most exposed to overlapping risks – where conflict disrupts production, climate shocks compound vulnerability, and weak institutions limit the effectiveness of interventions.
The programme also introduces a stronger focus on integrated solutions, encouraging proposals that simultaneously address climate resilience; nutrition outcomes and women’s empowerment.
This shift reflects a growing recognition that food insecurity is no longer a single-issue problem, but one that requires coordinated interventions across multiple dimensions of the food system.
Filling a growing financing gap
The launch also highlights a widening gap in agricultural development finance.
Official development assistance is contracting sharply, with bilateral aid to the least developed countries projected to fall by up to a quarter. This comes at a time when investment needs are rising, particularly in regions facing compounding crises.
GAFSP positions itself as a counterweight to this trend, offering flexible, country-led grant funding that can be deployed in high-risk environments where private capital and some donors are reluctant to invest.
“GAFSP offers something increasingly rare through flexible, country-owned grant funding that reaches the places that need it most,” Shetty said.
Since its launch in 2010, the programme has mobilised more than US$2.46 billion, supporting agri-food investments in 53 low-income countries and reaching over 39 million people. More than US$1.12 billion has been directed to fragile and conflict-affected states, underscoring its focus on high-risk environments.
Evidence from the field
One example cited by GAFSP is Liberia, where a US$46.5 million smallholder productivity and commercialisation project has benefited around 155,000 people in a post-conflict setting.
The programme combined improved seeds, mechanisation and better farming practices with investments in infrastructure and cooperatives, boosting yields while helping reintegrate former combatants and displaced communities.
The project illustrates the potential of long-term, system-level investment in rebuilding agricultural productivity and social stability in fragile contexts.
Connecting farmers to markets and inputs
The new call also complements broader World Bank initiatives such as AgriConnect, which aims to link smallholder farmers to digital markets, financial services and agricultural inputs.
By targeting IDA-only countries – the poorest economies eligible for World Bank concessional financing – and prioritising fragile contexts, GAFSP is seeking to ensure that these broader digital and financial innovations reach farmers who are often excluded from such systems.
What happens next
Governments have until 15 September 2026 to submit proposals, with funding decisions expected in January 2027.
As global food systems face mounting pressure, the success of initiatives such as GAFSP’s latest funding round may hinge on their ability to address not just immediate food shortages, but the underlying structural drivers – from climate resilience to input affordability – that are increasingly shaping the trajectory of global hunger.
Food insecurity is no longer driven by isolated shocks, but by a complex interplay of conflict, climate and economic forces – and responding to it will require equally integrated solutions.
