Across the NFP network, 2026 is off to a productive start. We’re seeing our partners strengthening relationships, sharing lessons, and enabling the conditions for transformation. In this edition, we share practical steps for food systems action, moments of shared learning, and new opportunities to connect and work together. We hope this helps you find your next point of entry.

— Communications Team @NFP

Updates and Announcements

The first ever Food Systems Finance e-course was a hit! Over the course of five weeks, 240 professionals dove into the role of public and private finance for sustainable food systems transformation. Now, eight alumni share their insights on how public and private finance can truly drive food systems transformation.

 

Solomon Zelalem, Portfolio Manager at Aggar Microfinance Institution, argues that for Ethiopia’s vegetable farmers, credit alone simply isn't enough. Find out why he advocates for a radical redesign of financial products to truly match the realities of food systems.

 

Alison Macbeth, a food systems project manager at Rhode Island Commerce (Economic Development Organisation of the State of Rhode Island, USA), believes there is a missing ingredient in the recipe for food systems transformation. Read her blog to find out what it is.

 

Read their full blogs and the blogs of 6 more public and private finance professionals on NFP Connects!

What is your role in creating an enabling environment for businesses to operate in a way that is beneficial for biodiversity and society? Every business depends on and impacts biodiversity. And every business has the ability and responsibility to play a central role in nature recovery. Yet the conditions in which they operate are not providing incentives for them to do so. In this landmark assessment on business and biodiversity, IPBES has outlined over 100 specific actions that can be taken now to create an enabling environment. Food systems are both a major driver of biodiversity loss and a key arena for recovery. Whatever role you play in food systems, there are practical next steps for you to take.

The first few blogs have just been published on NFPConnects !

We are excited to share a sneak peek into what’s coming up for the NFP Biodiversity & Food Systems Partnership in 2026. Discover the key activities on our shared agenda, including development of an online platform, an upcoming Conversation Starter Toolkit, and our first Community Network Call of the year on March 5th.

What if a big part of the answer to sustainable and equitable food systems was right under our feet? In our latest Welcome to the Beehive episode, we speak with NFP Partnership Builder Ibrahim Palaz about IN-FEAST — a partnership that's helping to transform insect farming in Kenya and East Africa by building skills, strengthening collaboration, and improving access to finance so insect farming businesses can genuinely scale. This is the story of how small creatures are creating systemic change.

After four years of collaboration, the HDP Nexus Coalition has reached the end of its workplan. In a Learning Brief, the Coalition has distilled the lessons learned and practical recommendations for those working at the intersection of conflict, hunger, and fragility. At NFP, we are reflecting on the Coalition’s outcomes and on our role leading the Transformation & Knowledge Management workstream. Our reflection and the Learning Brief reveal a few consistent directions that can help others navigate similar challenges.

The agricultural landscape in Egypt is reaching a critical turning point. As salinity levels rise due to climate change and intensive irrigation, the need for integrated, data-driven solutions has never been more urgent. Following the recent release of the Salinity Roadmap Egypt 2035—commissioned by the Netherlands Embassy in Cairo and the Netherlands Food Partnership—there is now a clear strategic framework for Dutch-Egyptian collaboration. This roadmap was presented during a hybrid high level workshop in Cairo.

Sustainable agriculture is growing fast in West Africa, but large-scale adoption is being held back by several factors. In response, NFP and partners produced a company catalogue of Dutch sustainable agri-inputs for West African agriculture. It features 23 organisations’ products and services across crop protection, soil nutrition, seeds, training, and more. Our ambition is to work with partners in West Africa to trigger the wider uptake of sustainable inputs in horticulture. If you are working to bridge these gaps, explore the catalogue and connect with us if you have any feedback, insights, or ideas to share.

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