Strong Partnerships for Sustainable Food Systems: NFP’s 2026 collaboration agenda

From forming to performing: how partnerships deliver

NFP supports partnerships to progress through three stages:

• Shared vision and agenda
• Joint action, learning and advocacy
• Mutual accountability for results

Because progress is rarely linear, NFP uses annual Partnership Health Checks to reflect on progress, strengthen cooperation, and sharpen next steps.

Our 2026 collaboration priorities

1) Country-driven partnership exploration

Partnerships should start from locally articulated needs and priorities, matched with relevant Dutch expertise where it adds value.

NFP will deepen collaboration in our six focus countries: Kenya, Egypt, Ethiopia, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Benin, identifying actionable needs and leads for new partnerships in each country.

Across our portfolio, NFP partnerships will be active in 22 countries in 2026, with continued support for learning and South–South collaboration.

2) Sector-driven coalitions for transformation

In 2026, NFP will continue building coalitions and roadmaps where LMIC demand and Dutch expertise align. Priority (sub)sectors include dairy, horticulture, poultry, and sustainable agri-inputs, alongside continued work on seed and insects.

Examples of what this looks like in practice include:

• Circular Poultry West Africa (alternative feeds and manure valorisation in Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal)
• Insect Farming East Africa (strengthening associations and advancing adoption pathways in Kenya and Ethiopia)
• SeedNL (strengthening enabling environments and investment readiness through country partnerships)

3) Thematic partnerships for food system challenges

NFP will sustain momentum on Biodiversity and Food Systems and Food System Finance, while exploring emerging priorities including conflict and instability, integrating water and food agendas, and infrastructure and cold chain solutions to reduce food loss and waste.

Key moments in 2026

Partnerships benefit from global moments that help align agendas and accelerate action. In 2026, NFP will engage around:

• African Food Systems Forum — Rwanda (September)
• CBD COP17 — Armenia (November)
• UN Water Conference — UAE (December)
• UNFCCC COP31 — Turkey

NFP will also mark World Food Day 2026 as a flagship moment, aiming to bring together 600+ participants and connect with a wider set of partner-linked events.

How to engage in 2026

If you work on food systems transformation—from government, business, research or civil society—there are clear ways to engage with NFP’s 2026 agenda:

1. Co-create or join a partnership aligned to country pathways, sector coalitions, or thematic priorities.
2. Engage through our focus countries in Kenya, Egypt, Ethiopia, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire or Benin to translate locally articulated priorities into actionable collaboration.
3. Follow NFP’s 2026 priorities as partnerships develop roadmaps, mobilise expertise, and deliver practical progress.