Through this new call for proposals, the World Rural Forum will continue supporting NCFFs in the implementation of the United Nations Decade of Family Farming

22 October 2026. In response to the call for proposals launched last July, the selection committee of the Challenge Fund for National Committees of Family Farming (NCFFs), composed of representatives from AFA, COPROFAM, FAO, IFAD, PAFO and WRF, has announced the selection of 11 proposals from among the 28 applications received. The selected proposals come from Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Peru, the Philippines, Senegal and Togo.

The Challenge Fund for NCFFs, promoted by the World Rural Forum (WRF) with the support and funding of IFAD and in collaboration with FAO, seeks to contribute effectively and systematically to policy dialogue and to the development and implementation of National Action Plans (NAPs) on Family Farming within the framework of the United Nations Decade of Family Farming 2019–2028 (UNDFF).

Under this call, each selected proposal will receive a grant of nearly USD 25,000 and will have a 12-month implementation period, ending in October 2027. The funding will enable NCFFs to strengthen their advocacy work and promote public policies in support of family farming, in line with the objectives of the UNDFF.

From the development to the implementation of NAPs

The selected proposals cover different stages of the National Action Plans:

  • Development: Burkina Faso and Honduras will work on designing a new NAP.
  • Update: Kenya will update its NAP and mobilise different stakeholders to secure its political adoption.
  • Implementation: The remaining eight committees, which already have a NAP in place (Central African Republic, Senegal, Togo, Peru, Dominican Republic, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan and the Philippines), will work on implementing some of the pillars of their plans through actions such as the design and technical development of public policy proposals to strengthen climate resilience, or the development and validation of a joint strategic plan for cooperatives, with sector-specific versions.

Significant progress under the 5th Challenge Fund

The 5th Challenge Fund, implemented between September 2024 and December 2025, made significant progress in advancing the UNDFF, particularly through a substantial strengthening of multi-stakeholder dialogue.

This progress included the development of National Action Plans (Burundi, Paraguay and Senegal); the initiation of political approval processes for these plans (Democratic Republic of the Congo); and the establishment of mechanisms for implementing National Action Plans and the subsequent strengthening of their implementation (Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar and Sierra Leone).

In addition, progress was made in integrating National Action Plans into broader government strategies (Nepal and Tunisia).

Find out more about the achievements of the 5th Challenge Fund in this summary document: https://www.ruralforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Challenge-Fund-for-NCFFs.pdf 

The projects will begin implementation in October 2026, and the World Rural Forum will monitor their progress throughout the entire period. The Challenge Fund for NCFFs will continue contributing to the development of policy and regulatory frameworks that strengthen the central role of family farming in achieving more inclusive and resilient food systems.