How to pledge
Check out the ten high-impact intervention areas and the 90 priority countries or regions.
Download the brochure
The Pledge screening process
FAQ
This FAQ and guidance answers questions for companies about the Zero Hunger Private Sector Pledge (the Pledge) and is designed to assist companies and investment funds to fill in and understand the commitments to be made in the pledge. It should be read alongside the sample pledge. The Pledge commits companies to align their investments with new evidence and commitments by donors, governments and global institutions, to end hunger and nourish the future.
Practical Issues
How do I fill in my company’s pledge?
We have prepared a table in the sample pledge to help companies fill in their different projects and calculate their contributions. Below are some examples of in-kind and cash projects that would be applicable for the pledge.
Ceres2030 area for investment | Types of investment needed (evidence drawn from scientific reviews published in Nature & CGE modelling) | Aligned company investments (examples) | Financial contribution (USD/EUR/other) |
---|---|---|---|
Empower the Excluded | Enable participation in farmers organisations | EUR XXX EUR XXX | |
Investment in education, training, and vocational programs for rural youth | |||
Scale up social protection programs | |||
On the Farm | Investment in extension services and research and development (R&D), especially for women | The Realigning Agriculture to Nutrition (RAIN) Programme | EUR XXX |
Agricultural interventions and innovation to support sustainable practices | |||
Support adoption of climate-resilient crops | |||
Scale up farm-level interventions in water-scarce regions | |||
Improve quality and quantity of livestock feed for small and medium scale commercial farms | |||
Food on the Move | Reduce post-harvest loss by focusing beyond cereals to fruits & vegetables, and other parts of the value chain | EUR XXX EUR XXX | |
Invest in infrastructure, regulations, technical assistance (TA) and services to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the value chain | |||
TOTAL (USD/EUR/other) | EUR XXX | ||
TOTAL (USD Equivalent) | USD XXX |
How long can a company pledge for? 1 year, 5 years or 10 years …
Companies are free to decide the length of their pledge.
Do investments need to be new?
Yes. The pledge must include future spending but can include past commitments that have not yet been spent. For example, they cannot count spending that took place prior to their pledge, but if the company made a past commitment but only plans to spend the money after the date of their pledge, then they can include the future spending.
Can you recommend projects that my company can invest in?
Yes. Our recommended implementing organisations are available to work with companies to identify opportunities for investment. A database of eligible projects is available on request for companies seeking opportunities to pledge toward existing initiatives. This database will be made publicly available on the pledge website after the summit.
Does it count if my company is part of another initiative like the UNFSS Business Declaration, G7 commitment, FAO’s Hand-in-Hand, WEF’s Food Action Alliance, etc.?
A pledge participant must fill in and sign the pledge document to be part of the Zero Hunger Private Sector Pledge. The Pledge works closely in partnership with these other private sector initiatives, and we strongly encourage companies to be part of these initiatives as a way to implement their pledge commitments.
The UN Food Systems Summit (FSS) Business Declaration is the overarching commitment made by companies as part of their engagement in the Summit. The Pledge documents will be added as an addendum to the Business Declaration.
Companies from G7 countries that sign the Zero Hunger Private Sector Pledge will automatically meet the commitment needed for the G7 initiative, based on the role that the World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA) will play in benchmarking and reporting progress.
Who do I send my pledge document to?
Pledges should be submitted on the online pledge form here:
What happens after I sign the pledge?
The pledge is a non-binding statement of the companies’ proposed investment plans. It is not intended to create any legally enforceable rights or obligations on the company or its affiliates.
If your pledge is approved, your company will be contacted to further discuss, detail and formalise the terms of your proposed investment plan with the selected implementing organisations. This shall provide you with the opportunity to further define the supported project aligned with national priorities, and agree on the exact collaboration mechanism, reporting modalities and communication plan. The parties will then be able to agree on a formal binding agreement subject to the implementing organisation’s due diligence and other requirements.
What is the media plan?
Media engagement is intended to increase awareness of the Zero Hunger Private Sector Pledge as a corporate commitment to end hunger. It is delivered through a collaborative effort of participating organisations supported by GAIN and the International Institute For Sustainable Development (IISD). The launch of communications work done in the lead up to and around UNFSS in September, 2021 generated high levels of coverage for the Pledge. The next steps will include scaling up the number of pledges and deepening our acquisition strategy by a) targeting a broader spectrum of sectors through the creation of new assets based on the feedback from current pledgers; maybe encouraging pledgers to draft an open letter, b) sustaining visibility in the news through newsworthy announcements and translating pledges into action notably through feedback loops and storytelling from existing pledgers. Media strategy is executed with a hub-and-spoke approach. This involves the development of the assets and toolkits centrally with a strong central media push supported by each organisation’s own engagement. The following assets were produced so far: video material, social media cards, narrative document, press release, template text for newsletters, and key speaking points. Communications group gathering participating organisations will ensure alignment and impact of the activities. Key moments of engagement this year are currently being identified and will include, for example, COP 28, the UNGA. A media monitoring will be performed and pay attention to the companies and member states and partners are considering a big launch event this year.
Can I promote my intended collaboration with specific organisation(s)?
Because the pledge does not constitute a binding commitment nor a guaranteed partnership with any organisation, companies signing the pledge cannot communicate or make any public statement, including on social media, about their plan to partner with or support a specific organisation unless they have received express received consent from such organisation. In case a company and organisation agree to communicate about their planned collaboration, the company should not use the logo, name or any agreed abbreviation of any other implementing organisation associated with the Zero Hunger Private Sector Pledge, nor establish any linkage, direct or indirect, to such organisations in external communications and public statements. Communication on the intended collaboration is to be agreed at a later stage with the implementing organisation, after the exact collaboration modalities and a communication plan have been agreed by all relevant parties and upon required due diligence clearance and signature of a formal binding agreement with the implementing organisation(s).
Institutional & Governance Issues
Whose idea was the Pledge?
The Zero Hunger Private Sector Pledge is a game-changing solution that emerged from the UNFSS Action Tracks and is supported by Agnes Kalibata, Special Envoy for the UNFSS and by Professor Joachim Von Braun, Chair of the Science Group. The founding partner organisations are FAO, GAIN, Grow Africa, Grow Asia, IISD, WBA, WBCSD, and WFP.
Who is coordinating the Pledge?
The pledge is supported by: AUDA-NEPAD, FAO, GAIN, Grow Asia, IFAD, IISD, the Shamba Centre for Food & Climate, WBA, WBCSD, WFP and Global Citizen. The Shamba Centre for Food & Climate is currently acting as coordinator for the Pledge.
What happens after the pledge is signed?
The pledge is a non-binding statement of the companies’ proposed investment plans. It is not intended to create any legally enforceable rights or obligations on the company or its affiliates. After the pledge is signed, the company will work with implementing organisation to convert the pledge into specified terms for the proposed project and investment plans and ultimately into a binding agreement, subject to the company undergoing applicable due diligence process and any other organisational requirements. The Term Sheet Template is available below in Annex 1.
What are the reporting and accountability requirements?
The full reporting framework of the Zero Hunger Private Sector Pledge is available here. It was developed by independent consultants (Walk the Talk), under the supervision and guidance of the Pledge Coordinator, the Shamba Centre for Food & Climate.
The reporting framework contributes to the reporting exercise, which aims to publish a report with aggregated data on all pledges of over USD 1 million. For the 2023 reporting report, the ambition is to verify the following information:
Establish that the pledged investment took place
Confirm the country/region in which it was spent
Confirm the amount that was spent
Any pledges under USD 1 million will not be subject to the same reporting and accountability standards as pledges over USD 1 million. These pledges will still be included in the reporting but through stories and case studies.
WBA will also monitor progress against the company's investment area as part of the broader benchmarking assessment of the Food and Agriculture Benchmark.
What is the governance structure?
The proposed governance structure is as follows:
Role | Composition | Responsibilities | Modus Operandi |
---|---|---|---|
Leadership Group | Principals or senior representatives of partner organisations[1] |
| Meets every 6 months |
Management Committee | Representatives of partner agencies |
| Monthly Meetings Reports to Leadership Group |
Coordination | Coordinator + comms officer + administrative support officer |
| Operating under one partner organisation acting as the accounting officer for the Coordinator Reports to Management Committee & Leadership Group |
Validation/audit | WBA |
| Reports independently to Leadership Group |