Sweden / Agriculture

ODA Spending

How much ODA does Sweden allocate to agriculture?

Sweden was the 9^th largest DAC donor to agriculture in 2021.

Sweden’s prioritization of agriculture within its broader development program in 2021 was lower than the average for DAC donors (6% of ODA), making it 20^th among donors in relative terms.

How is Swedish agricultural ODA changing?

Agriculture and rural development are not key development priorities for Sweden. Sweden’s funding to agriculture has massively decreased in 2021, by about 62%, compared to 2020.

Sweden’s agricultural ODA in 2020 was most likely an overestimation due to the full inclusion of Sweden’s multi-year contribution ( US$869 million) to GCF, part of which (US$241 million) was imputed to the agricultural sector and therefore resulting in a sharp increase in Swedish multilateral ODA to the sector.

How is Swedish agricultural ODA allocated?

Bilateral Spending

While Sweden’s total agricultural ODA saw a sharp decrease in 2021, its bilateral disbursements to the sector increased, reaching US$213 million (from US$201 million in 2020). Sweden’s bilateral funding to agriculture remained focused mainly on agricultural development (35% of bilateral agriculture funding), rural development (18%), and agricultural research (13%).

Multilateral Spending and Commitments

In total, US$100 million, or 32% of Sweden’s agriculture ODA, was channeled as core contributions to multilateral organizations ( DAC average: 49%). Other key multilateral partners in 2021 were EU institutions, the World Bank’s IDA, ADF, and the Adaptation Fund.

Sweden also supports the CGIAR, the largest recipient in the agriculture research portfolio of Sida. In a 2019 commitment framework, Sida set funding levels for CGIAR 2019-2022 at SEK470 million ( US$50 million) as unrestricted support to the fund’s portfolio window, SEK20 million ( US$2 million) for the CGIAR research program on water, land, and ecosystems, and SEK16 million ( US$1.6 million) for the program on small-scale fishing.

The table below summarizes Sweden’s more recent commitments to multilaterals working on agricultural development. Some of these commitments are considered core funding to multilaterals while others will be earmarked funding through multilaterals from Sweden.

Funding and Policy Outlook

What is the current Swedish government's outlook on agricultural ODA?

Agriculture is not a sector of primary concern: Within the 2016 Policy framework for Swedish development cooperation and humanitarian assistance, agriculture fits within the broader theme of ‘international trade and sustainable investments’ and focuses on small-scale agriculture. This section of the policy pays particular attention the role of women in agriculture and highlights the connections between agriculture, food security, and economic development, as well as to health. Agricultural research also receives considerable attention in the policies guiding Sweden’s agricultural development activities.

Key Bodies