Avanzar2030 launches second phase of work focusing on evidence-based solutions for Honduras and Colombia

Avanzar2030 has officially begun the next phase of its work, focusing on two key research projects: conditional agricultural credit programs in Colombia and school feeding programs in Honduras. During a recent three-day workshop, over 15 participants representing organizations such as CABI, CEPAL, FAO, IFPRI, the Inter-American Development Bank, Universidad de los Andes, and the World Bank, came together to discuss the methodological approach for these new projects.

Avanzar2030, led by Hesat2030 Co-Chair Valeria Piñeiro, is part of a broader mission to support sustainable food systems, climate adaptation, and improved livelihoods across Latin America and the Caribbean. In its first phase, Avanzar2030 provided an evidence-based analysis for the region identifying innovative solutions in technology, institutions and policy. In this new phase, Avanzar2030 will focus on country priorities.

A methodology focused on evidence

Supported by over 20 organizations across the region, Avanzar2030 will systematically review and synthesize evidence to pinpoint policy interventions that can adapt food systems to climate risks, improve diets, and strengthen food security. The evidence synthesis will provide information and knowledge for decision-making based on four guiding principles:

• Inclusive: engaging policymakers from the outset to ensure relevance and integrating diverse types of knowledge;

• Rigorous: using comprehensive evidence, minimizing biaises and ensuring quality;

• Accessible: communicating findings clearly and ensuring public access;

• Transparent: detailing research questions, methods and resources as well as assumptions, limitations, and potential conflicts of interest.

The process includes scanning scientific databases and grey literature, screening titles and abstracts against predefined criteria, and extracting key data for quantitative and qualitative analysis. The goal is to generate actionable recommendations that can then inform national policies—and ultimately be scaled across the region.

As part of the workshop, participants explored how to develop a research protocol and refine its scope, screening the evidence, the different types of evidence syntheses and meta-analysis methods.

Colombia: financial instruments to support sustainable agriculture

Innovative solutions are needed to increase food production while mitigating carbon emissions, building climate resilience and reducing agriculture’s impact on the ecosystem. Examples include increasing access to mechanization, adopting modern fertilization process, or the use of improved seeds. However, implementing these solutions will require that smallholder farmers have greater access to financial resources.

In Colombia, Avanzar2030 will identify financial instruments that can improve agricultural productivity sustainably. Specifically, it will provide the government with guidelines for the design of conditional agricultural credit programs that promote sustainable practices and reduce negative externalities on the environment.

Already, the government has demonstrated leadership in financing sustainable agriculture producution through its 2018 Green Growth Policy and the commitments made at the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit. More recently, the government adopted the National Development Plan (2022–2026), Colombia, World Power of Life, which embeds climate finance as a key driver of sustainable development.

The evidence generated through the Avanzar2030 research will help inform Colombia’s policy landscape and serve as a model for broader application across Latin America. This initiative will be led by IFPRI in collaboration with the Universidad de los Andes.

Honduras: Strengthening School Feeding Programs

In Honduras, the National School Feeding Program delivers meals to more than 1.3 million children each year in public schools. Evidence suggests the program has been effective at improving school attendance, academic performance and child nutrition. In some regions of the country, ingredients found in the meals, such as vegetables, fruits, dairy, and eggs, are sourced from local farmers —linking nutrition with local livelihoods.

The national investment in school meals provides a strong base for future policy innovations. The Avanzar2030 project in Honduras will assess how local procurement can be expanded to strengthen nutrition and livelihood outcomes. The project will examine barriers, enablers, and impacts of existing programs.

Researchers from IFPRI will work alongside researchers from Honduras as well as other experts in the Latin America and Caribbean region to explore the existing research related to school feeding programs with local procurement. The aim is to offer insights to policy makers in Honduras as they scale up their initiatives to diversify their food systems and combat malnutrition. Recommendations will also support the implemention of such projects in other countries.

Next steps

Avanzar2030 offers a scientific model for leveraging evidence-based research to inform context-sensitive policy development within agrifood systems. By anchoring its methodology in principles of transparency, inclusivity, and methodological rigor, the initiative contributes to the knowledge base required to advance resilient, sustainable, and equitable food systems across Latin America and the Caribbean.