For families across Timor-Leste, stronger food systems can mean better access to nutritious food, more resilient agricultural livelihoods and greater economic opportunities, particularly for women and young people. Achieving this requires coordinated action across agriculture, nutrition, climate resilience, governance and investment.
Representatives from the Government of Timor-Leste, municipalities, United Nations agencies and development partners concluded a two-day mid-term reflection in Baucau on 4 August, reviewing progress under the country’s Food Systems Transformation Programme and identifying priorities for its next phase.
Supported by the Joint SDG Fund, the programme is jointly implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in partnership with the Government of Timor-Leste. It supports national efforts to strengthen food security, improve nutrition, promote climate-resilient agriculture, enhance livelihoods and build the institutional capacity needed to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
The reflection, held on 3 and 4 August, provided an opportunity to assess achievements and implementation challenges since the programme’s launch in June 2025. Participants also shared lessons, reviewed proposed investments and discussed how key results could be sustained beyond the programme’s conclusion in June 2027.
The opening session brought together Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry H.E. Marcos da Cruz; United Nations Resident Coordinator Funmi Balogun; FAO Representative to Indonesia and Timor-Leste Rajendra Aryal; and UNICEF Representative Patrizia DiGiovanni.
They were joined by Christopher H. Samson, Adviser to the Vice Prime Minister, and Maria Celestina Viegas, Secretary of Municipal Social Affairs and Community Organization of Baucau, alongside representatives from government institutions, municipalities, United Nations agencies and development partners.
In his opening remarks, Aryal highlighted the reflection as an opportunity for programme partners to jointly assess progress, examine their implementation experiences and strengthen coordination for the remaining programme period.
United Nations Resident Coordinator Funmi Balogun emphasized the programme’s potential to catalyse broader and longer-term change.
“We must move beyond seeing this as simply another project. This programme represents a catalytic approach to transforming Timor-Leste’s food systems by strengthening governance, mobilizing further investment and bringing together partners around a shared national vision.”
Officially opening the workshop, Minister Marcos da Cruz stressed that the programme’s impact should be measured by the changes it creates in people’s lives.
“The true measure of success is not the number of reports we produce, but how we improve people’s lives through stronger value chains, higher incomes, more resilient food systems and greater opportunities for women and young people.”
Reviewing progress and setting priorities
Since its launch, the programme has advanced work across five interconnected result areas, including strengthening national food systems governance and coordination mechanisms, supporting the proposed National Food Systems Investment Partnership Platform and developing five priority Food Systems Investment Programmes.
It has also supported work towards establishing Municipal Agrifood Resource Centres and a proposed Food Systems Innovation Hub, alongside nutrition-sensitive interventions designed to contribute to healthier and more resilient food systems.
During the two-day reflection, FAO, UNICEF and their partners reviewed progress against planned activities, outputs, targets and indicators. Participants examined key achievements and implementation challenges, shared lessons and identified opportunities to strengthen coordination across sectors and institutions.
The discussions also focused on the technical, institutional and leadership support required during the programme’s final implementation period.
Building a foundation for long-term investment
A central part of the reflection was the presentation and review of five priority Food Systems Investment Programmes developed through the initiative.
These investment programmes are intended to strengthen government ownership, improve investment readiness, attract strategic partnerships and mobilize resources for long-term food systems transformation beyond the duration of the current programme.
Participants provided technical and strategic feedback on the proposed investments, helping to strengthen their potential for future implementation and financing.
The discussions also addressed sustainability, institutional ownership and transition planning. Participants considered how key programme platforms and innovations could be sustained and integrated into national and municipal structures. These include the National Food Systems Investment Partnership Platform, Municipal Agrifood Resource Centres, the proposed Food Systems Innovation Hub and nutrition-related education activities.
Carrying the work forward
The reflection concluded with discussions on a shared roadmap covering August 2026 to June 2027. The roadmap is expected to define priority actions, institutional responsibilities and coordination mechanisms for the programme’s final implementation period.
By bringing together institutions working across agriculture, nutrition, livelihoods, governance and investment, the workshop helped strengthen a shared direction for the programme’s next phase and reinforce national ownership of its results.
Through this coordinated effort, the Government of Timor-Leste, FAO, UNICEF and their partners are working to build food systems that improve nutrition, strengthen livelihoods and create greater opportunities for all, particularly women and children.
Originally published by FAO Timor-Leste.
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.
