The Hand-in-Hand Initiative (HIH) prioritizes countries and territories where poverty and hunger are highest, national capacities are limited, or operational difficulties are greatest due to natural or man-made crises. It seeks to eradicate poverty (SDG1), end hunger and malnutrition (SDG2), and reduce inequalities (SDG10) by accelerating market-based transformation of agri-food systems to raise incomes, improve nutrition, empower poor and vulnerable populations, and strengthen resilience to climate change.

The Hand-in-Hand Initiative, launched in 2019, is a flagship of FAO and one of its core priority programme areas.
The HIH Initiative uses geospatial, biophysical and socio-economic data, as well as advanced analytics to identify territories where agricultural transformation and sustainable management of forest and fisheries have the greatest potential for alleviating poverty and hunger. GIS analysts, economists, agronomists, and other experts bring analytics, models, and mechanisms to the Initiative. Numerous partnerships with leading research institutions across the world also enrich the informational and analytical content of these tools. The integration of technical tools informs policymaking and contributes to capacities of countries.