In a world of multifaceted shocks and stress — including climate change, conflict, malnutrition, and health crises — siloed approaches have proven ineffective. Focusing solely on food security or disaster risk reduction has yet to stem surging global economic losses from disasters or combat a hunger crisis that now affects 673 million people.
To explore how a cross-sector, resilience-based approach may offer a better path toward long-term economic growth and poverty reduction, Devex and Food for the Hungry hosted an event on the sidelines of the 80th U.N. General Assembly, where Food for the Hungry announced a new partnership with the vice presidency of Guatemala to develop and deliver a Resilience Road map.
Along with Mark Viso, president and CEO of Food for the Hungry, Guatemalan Vice President Karin Herrera Aguilar discussed how systemic strategies that connect sectors and embed resilience across communities and institutions are essential to future-proofing societies — and how their new Resilience Partnership exemplifies this approach.
Resilience beyond silos
From fragmented responses to a more integrated vision, the vice president described how her government is shifting its approach to combating malnutrition. “It is a shared responsibility of all the sectors in Guatemala,” as well as with Food for the Hungry and others who “want to work together in this effort,” she said.
The vice president added that the new partnership with Food for the Hungry represents not just a signed agreement but “a commitment of the nation to assume the problems we have in malnutrition” and to align efforts across government, NGOs, and the private sector.
Viso framed this shift as part of a larger, sector-wide transformation. “What we’ve been doing for decades is necessary, important, meaningful — but ultimately, fundamentally insufficient,” he said. “So for us, we embarked on an exploratory journey of transformation … to try to discover what we think would make meaningful, lasting, exponential impact.” That means embracing systems approaches rather than transactional projects, he said.
Equity at the core
Tackling historic inequalities that have left marginalized groups most vulnerable to crises, including Indigenous populations, is a primary focus for the vice president and her partners.
Herrera highlighted Guatemala’s work in the Mayan Ch’orti’ region, which combines ecological initiatives with social support. These efforts include creating seed banks for drought-resistant crops, expanding access to clean water, and promoting midwife-led community health services tailored to local cultural contexts.
“We are respecting the cultural relevance of each individual region,” she said, noting how resilience planning must include indigenous and rural communities in both design and implementation.
A new partnership model
Viso emphasized that Food for the Hungry’s partnership with the vice presidency of Guatemala reflects a broader reimagining of how international NGOs can support country-led agendas. “This is owned by Guatemala,” he said. “We’re just there to catalyze and support.”
He also described the Guatemalan road map as a model for how other partnerships can thrive by putting local needs at the forefront. “As Madam Vice President said, [partners can] collaborate together knowing that [if] they put their efforts here, it’s in concert with where Guatemala thinks is important.”
By aligning national leadership with international support, the partnership aims to address immediate challenges — from food insecurity to climate shocks — while strengthening long-term systems.
“It is proactive,” Viso said. “It helps give people, communities, institutions what they need to adapt, adjust, transform … so they’re prepared when unexpected crises or events happen.”
Watch Road maps for resilience: Navigating risks and crises in an age of uncertainty on YouTube.
About the author
Devex Partnerships
Thanks for reading and for your interest in Devex. In collaboration with our partners, Devex’s partnerships editorial team produces content to promote a partner’s work or perspectives on a particular issue. It gives actors across the global development sector — including nongovernmental organizations, private sector stakeholders, aid agencies and government institutions — the opportunity to go beyond traditional advertising and tell their stories in an impactful way. If you’d like to learn more about how you can shine a spotlight on a particular issue with Devex, please email partnerships@devex.com. We look forward to hearing from you.
