Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS)

AICS – the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation – is one of key innovations established by the Italian law on international cooperation (Law No. 125/2014). The Agency headquarters are in Rome. AICS runs another base in Florence and 20 field offices worldwide for assessing local needs, implementing development initiatives, monitoring results and building partnerships on the ground. According to the law, the Agency’s mission is to “perform technical and operational activities associated with the examination, development, financing, management and control of the cooperation initiatives”.

Aligned with the pillars of the 2030 Agenda, the The Italian Development Cooperation Agency focuses primarily on the People Pillar, contributing to the second Sustainable Development Goal, End hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. The cross-sector nature of the issues involves other goals of the 2030 Agenda related to the Planet Pillars, regarding renewable energy and ecosystem sustainability, and the Prosperity Pillar, for inclusive economic growth and employment.

Based on established experience in agriculture and food security, the core policies of AICS in food systems and rural development are : a) sustainable agriculture based on the principles of agroecology, the circular economy, dissemination of agricultural practices resilient to climate change, the preservation of biodiversity, sustainable management of natural resources, and soil and water; b) food security, the transformation of food systems, the introduction of technologies and protocols for improving food production and quality, sustainable food processing and preservation, and the reduction of food waste, the development of connections with markets; c) urban food policies, such as supporting the development of city food policies and strategies in terms of food self-supply plans, urban agriculture plans, school lunch programmes; d) technical and scientific training, across the projects, involving Italian centres of excellence, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and other parties capable of creating synergies to foster skills development and strengthen governance processes.

Food security content page

Focal point Federica de Gaetano is currently a Co-Chair and Board member of the GDPRD.