Despite growing demand for food system adaptation at the local level, only a small fraction of adaptation finance effectively reaches local actors. This brief explores key principles to enhance the delivery and absorption of adaptation finance to food systems, including subsidiarity, flexible funding, patient and predictable funding, scalability and replicability, horizontal accountability, risk-taking, partnership-building and sustainability.

The brief also offers guidance on how development partners and funding agencies can enhance mechanisms for delivering finance to the local level in Africa. They must integrate best practices such as engaging existing local governance systems, supporting local intermediaries, cocreating with local actors, institutionalising accountability and feedback processes, and facilitating direct access to funding.