On 3 November 2025 in Doha, Chris Elmore MP delivered the UK statement at the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty High‑Level Debate on mobilising finance. He set out a move from grant‑style aid to long‑term investment partnerships that expand agri‑food growth, build resilient food systems and mobilise private capital, and from delivering services to strengthening country systems. The UK highlighted its vice‑chair role in the Alliance and its co‑sponsorship of the UN Sevilla Platform for Action on financing SDGs 1 and 2, with a consistent stress on value for money through tighter coordination.
Announcements included technical assistance in Ethiopia to raise livestock productivity and rural incomes; a six‑year Zambia Poverty Reduction Programme worth almost £40 million to reinforce social protection and climate resilience; and a new UK match‑fund, to be channelled via the Common Fund for Commodities, to support small, sustainable agribusinesses across sub‑Saharan Africa. The minister framed these as part of a shift towards more strategic, country‑led partnerships and investments.
Policy Wire analysis: For implementers, the direction of travel points to programme designs that strengthen national systems, use targeted UK technical expertise, and tighten delivery chains around measurable food security outcomes. Country ownership and coordination will matter more for procurement, reporting and audit, with partners expected to align to government systems where feasible.
The reference to the Sevilla Platform for Action situates the UK approach within the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (Seville, 30 June–3 July 2025). The UN describes the Platform as a registry of more than 130 initiatives intended to turn the Seville outcome into practical steps to mobilise investment for the SDGs, address debt pressures and improve the financing architecture.
For country teams, the policy emphasis implies greater use of blended finance structures and pooled mechanisms that draw in commercial capital alongside ODA, especially in agri‑food value chains. In practice, this often pairs technical assistance with de‑risking tools, and relies on clearer performance metrics to demonstrate value for money to ministers and parliaments.
In Zambia, the announced programme signals workstreams around social protection administration, shock‑responsive safety nets and climate‑resilient livelihoods. In Ethiopia, the livestock focus points to practical interventions in animal health, feed and market access, with programme management steered through government systems wherever possible to build long‑term capacity.
The new match‑fund for small agribusinesses will attract attention from early‑stage firms and intermediaries. Eligibility criteria, typical ticket sizes and pipeline selection will be clarified as the administering institution publishes guidelines; prospective applicants can expect staged due diligence and clear impact reporting requirements.
The approach pairs UK development spend with efforts to mobilise private capital and to align with the Financing for Development agenda. Delivery will turn on timely programme documentation, procurement and measurement frameworks that translate today’s commitments into contracted outputs and independently verified results.