The Government of the Dominican Republic has launched two new initiatives to accelerate the transformation of the country's food systems. Backed by the Joint SDG Fund and the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, the initiatives will strengthen food security, climate resilience and territorial development, advancing progress on the Sustainable Development Goals.
The initiatives were unveiled at a high-level event in Santo Domingo that brought together government ministries, UN agencies and international partners around a shared goal: building food systems that are more sustainable, resilient and inclusive through stronger public policy, new investment and territorial innovation.
The launch builds on real momentum. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, the prevalence of undernourishment in the Dominican Republic fell from 8.7 per cent in 2019 to 3.6 per cent in 2025, one of the strongest improvements recorded in the region. The new initiatives will help accelerate implementation of the country's National Food Systems Transformation Roadmap and contribute to Zero Hunger and the 2030 Agenda.
Turning Local Solutions into Scalable Models
The Government presented the Joint Programme "Advancing Food Systems Transformation in the Dominican Republic: The Scalable Model of the Yaque del Sur Basin." The programme will strengthen climate resilience, sustainable natural resource management and territorial development across the Yaque del Sur basin, generating lessons that can scale to other parts of the country.
Participants also introduced "Accelerating Food Systems Transformation through a Scalable Success Model (SSM)." The initiative will build national capacities, governance, interinstitutional coordination and the enabling conditions needed to implement the country's Food Systems Transformation Roadmap.
Together, the two initiatives will mobilize technical cooperation, specialized expertise and strategic investment behind public policies on food security and nutrition, climate adaptation, sustainable natural resource management and territorial development.
Building Stronger Food Systems Through Collaboration
José Ignacio Paliza, Minister of the Presidency and President of the National Council for Food Sovereignty and Food and Nutrition Security (CONASSAN), opened the event by calling food systems transformation central to the country's sustainable development agenda.
"These actions strengthen our capacity to coordinate public policy, attract investment and build innovative solutions from the territories, with the goal of ensuring greater food security, climate resilience and opportunities for our people," said Paliza.
UN Resident Coordinator Julia Sánchez reaffirmed the UN's commitment to supporting the government's efforts.
"Our hope is that the model advanced in the Yaque del Sur basin becomes concrete evidence of how strategic investments can generate more sustainable, inclusive and efficient results. The UN system will continue accompanying the Dominican Government with technical and institutional support to advance towards food systems that leave no one behind," said Sánchez.
Accelerating Progress Towards the SDGs
The launch also created space for dialogue among government institutions, UN entities, development partners, academia, civil society and the private sector on the opportunities and challenges of transforming food systems.
As countries look for integrated solutions to interconnected development challenges, the Dominican Republic's approach shows how coordinated action across institutions and sectors can turn national priorities into lasting results. By bringing territorial development, climate resilience and food security into one framework, the initiatives aim to deliver scalable solutions that improve livelihoods, strengthen resilience and accelerate progress towards the SDGs.
Originally published by the Ministry of the Presidency of the Dominican Republic.
Note:
This joint programme is supported by the Joint SDG Fund in collaboration with the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub. All joint programmes of the Joint SDG Fund are led by UN Resident Coordinators and implemented by the agencies, funds, and programmes of the United Nations development system. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Arab Gulf Programme for Development for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.
