RIYADH, KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA (KSA), June 3, 2024 – His Royal Highness Prince Abdul Aziz bin Talal bin Al Saud, President of the Arab Gulf Programme for Development and Professor Michael Kremer, 2019 Economics Nobel laureate and Chair of the Innovation Commission, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to transition food systems innovations to scale to address challenges of desertification, drought, and land degradation. AGFUND and the Innovation Commission are working with the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), the Arab Coordination Group, donors, governments including Germany, Ireland and Switzerland, as well as the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to help smallholder farmers facing desertification, drought, and land degradation through the scaling of innovations the commission has identified as having rigorous evidence of impact and cost-effectiveness that will be implemented by AGFUND and partners.
During the signing ceremony, His Royal Highness Abdul Aziz bin Talal bin Al Saud said “let us recognize that supporting small farmers is not charity; it’s an investment in our collective future. As we savor each bite of a sun-ripened tomato or a loaf of artisanal bread, let us remember the hands that nurtured them—the hands that feed nations and cultivate hope.”
In his speech, Professor Michael Kremer highlighted that “the innovations identified by the Commission can mitigate land degradation and address its social, economic, and environmental impacts, potentially helping millions of farmers affected by desertification in low- and middle-income countries.” He also stressed that “our collaboration presents a powerful opportunity to mitigate land degradation and address its social, economic, and environmental impacts.”
The Arab Gulf Programme for Development is a regional organization and global initiative that focuses on addressing the fundamental issues of human development, with a commitment to inclusivity and equality for all. AGFUND’s primary goal is to foster sustainable and inclusive agricultural development, ensure food security, alleviate poverty, and build resilience, particularly in countries affected by conflicts.
The Innovation Commission for Climate Change, Food Security, and Agriculture is an independent initiative with a secretariat at the Development Innovation Lab at the University of Chicago that identifies innovations with rigorous evidence of impact and cost-effectiveness and generates recommendations to transition them to scale. It also identifies early-stage innovations with high expected returns. The Innovation Commission includes former heads of state and finance ministers, and leaders in international organizations and civil society.
For more information about this partnership, please get in touch with Dr. Conrad Rein, Director of Policy Outreach at the Innovation Commission at conradrein@uchicago.edu.