Taking stock of lessons from pilots, partnerships and multi-stakeholder platforms with governments, CSOs and business to implement the VGGT.

This event highlighted the importance of equitable governance of land and natural resource tenure for sustainable investment in agriculture and natural resources and the key lessons from recent initiatives to develop and pilot tools and practical approaches. It included an interactive discussion and audience poll on practical priorities to ensure that private and public land investment contributes effectively to food security, improved nutrition and to the SDGs more broadly. This event aimed to prepare the ground for stocktaking in future years by CFS and development partners on the implementation of VGGT principles in agricultural investment.

The specific objectives were:

1. Review knowledge and learning on outcomes of Responsible Land Investment initiatives and pilot programs in sub-Saharan Africa over the last 5 years
2. Present findings on uptake of responsible land investment tools & guidance by business and discuss barriers to wider implementation
3. Assess the role of multi-stakeholder platforms (MSPs) in clarifying land rights, strengthening customary rights and governance arrangements, and promoting responsible land investment
4. Prepare the ground for future CFS and partner stocktaking on implementation of VGGT principles in agricultural investment and policy reform processes

Perspectives and initiatives to be shared and discussed include:

• Experiences piloting civil society and private business partnerships in Malawi, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and Tanzania including new tools and approaches to improve land risk assessment, due diligence, documentation and mapping of land rights, civil society engagement and transparent partnerships between investors, land owners and users.
• GIZ's and Ethiopia's experience with mainstreaming VGGT into responsible agricultural investment processes in Ethiopia.
• FAO's and Sierra Leone's perspectives on the practical linkages between the CFS-RAI and the VGGT, including strengthening the investment approval process to comply with international standards, the role and main concerns of the private sector in this process and the challenges and opportunities for the government of Sierra Leone in implementation.
• ILC experiences of Multi-Stakeholder Platforms, highlighting initiatives in Malawi and Tanzania, and the scope to develop a global Community of Practice (CoP) bridging governments, CSOs, private sector and research to enhance the MSP ecosystem, advance equitable land governance and ensure that land investment is inclusive and responsible.
• Perspectives of the CFS-PSM Secretariat and member companies on land, responsible investment and food security and the scope for improved partnerships.