About ACF
Building an Alliance of Champions
The Alliance of Champions for Food Systems Transformation (ACF) is a strategic coalition of ambitious countries determined to act urgently, together.
Brazil 🇧🇷 | Cambodia 🇰🇭 | Norway 🇳🇴 | Rwanda 🇷🇼 | Sierra Leone 🇸🇱 |
Launched at COP28 in Dubai, signatories to the Alliance are committing to driving bold, coordinated action, taking a ‘whole of government’ approach to transforming their food systems such that they deliver better outcomes across 5 key areas: Food nutrition and security; adaptation and resilience; equity and livelihoods; nature and biodiversity; and climate mitigation.
Modelled on similar high ambition, sector-specific coalitions, the Alliance sits outside of the formal multilateral process – but acts as a complement to it.
ACF countries are working to improve their national food systems in ways that become attractive blueprints for others to follow, showcasing national leadership, facilitating learning, disseminating knowledge and accelerating innovation.
By taking a coordinated approach to reorienting policies, practices and investment priorities, members are aiming to make significant progress this decade, raising the ceiling of ambition and shifting perceptions of what is possible.
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Raising the bar
Alliance members are committing to:
Strengthen national visions and food systems transformation pathways, inclusive of ten priority action areas and consistent with science-based targets.
Update Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategies (LT-LEDS), and National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) in line with these updated National Food System Transformation Pathways and/or Implementation Plans, by 2025.
Report annually on targets and priority intervention areas.
Intervention
Ten priority intervention areas
Intervention
At the heart of ACF membership is a commitment to act across the ten Priority Intervention Areas, which together make up a comprehensive framework for transforming food systems.
Why coherence matters
Policies on agriculture, nutrition, climate, health, trade, and social protection are deeply interconnected; decisions in one field can easily create trade-offs elsewhere. That is why genuine and lasting change depends on coherent and coordinated action across sectors, with incentives carefully aligned.
Without this, well-intentioned policies risk cancelling each other out — for example, when efforts to boost productivity drive deforestation, or when nutrition goals clash with trade incentives.
How the Alliance helps
The Alliance supports countries to navigate trade-offs and build whole-of-government approaches that deliver multiple benefits. Through peer exchange and shared learning, members identify practical ways to integrate policy goals, manage competing demands, and design interventions that advance health, climate, and economic outcomes together.
PARTNERSHIPS FOR PROGRESS
CGIAR has been an early and trusted supporter of the Alliance, validating the Ten Priority Action Areas, and now hosting the Secretariat. As an Alliance, we are continually looking to collaborate with other civil society partners to support implementation, and track impact over time.
ACF materials
Voices of progress
2025 Progress Snapshots
2025 Progress Frameworks
2024 Progress Snapshots
MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA
How can you join?
Membership is for governments only and interested countries should submit an enquiry via the ‘Find out More’ page, after which they will be offered a bilateral conversation.
For those countries then wishing to join, the next step is to commit to the Terms of Reference (ToR) at a Ministerial level.
Supporters
“Healthy, resilient food systems are the foundation of human well-being. The Alliance of Champions is showing that through solidarity and shared vision, we can achieve both climate action and social justice.”
Afshan Khan, UN Assistant Secretary-General and SUN Movement Coordinator
“Food systems transformation is both urgent and achievable. The Alliance’s expansion proves that real leadership and cooperation are alive — and that change is accelerating.”
M. Ann Tutwiler, Board Chair, Global Alliance to Improve Nutrition
“The Alliance of Champions reflects the spirit of Brazil: Bold, collective, and rooted in action. Across the country and around the world, communities, innovators, and governments are already showing that transforming our food systems isn’t a distant goal. It’s moving forward today, driven by collaboration and a shared commitment to real impact.”
Gonzalo Muñoz, United Nations High Level Climate Action Champion COP25; Co-founder Ambition Loop
“The launch of the #AllianceOfChampions, co-chaired by Brazil, Norway and Sierra Leone, is a major step forward for food system transformations, showing us what government leadership looks like. Now let’s see the private sector and investor communities rally behind these countries to facilitate rapid action at scale”
Paul Polman, Business Leader / Former CEO of Unilever, and Author of ‘Net Positive’
“The Alliance of Champions will be instrumental in bringing about coherence across global policy processes on food, climate and biodiversity, by helping to align countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) with the National Food System Transformation Pathways created as a result of the UN Food Systems Summit.“
Juan Lucas Restrepo Ibiza, Global Director for Partnerships & Advocacy, CGIAR
“The very fact that the Alliance of Champions has 10 priority intervention areas is enough to show just how transformational addressing food systems will be to people and planet. Taking a food systems approach to tackling climate change means wins not only for climate targets, but for biodiversity, health and livelihoods too. I am so encouraged to see governments come together as the ACF to recognise this fact and drive progress through collaboration.”
David Nabarro, Co-Director and Chair of Global Health at Imperial College’s Institute of Global Health Innovation
“Africa’s food systems are the hardest hit by the climate crisis. The #AllianceofChampions can provide leadership on the future of food to cut emissions, boost yields, tackle food waste and support farmers.“
Wanjira Mathai, Managing Director Africa & Global Partnerships, WRI
“The announcement of the ACF at COP28 is a significant moment for food systems transformation – one that ormation – one that will help the international community drive forward change via collaborative and coordinated action. We support these countries’ commitment to accelerating food systems action and look forward to witnessing this collaboration grow.“
H.E. Mariam Bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, United Arab Emirates