International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

World AIDS day 1 December is World AIDS Day, dedicated to the fight against the global epidemic. An estimated 33.4 million people around the world are living with AIDS; 95 per cent are from developing nations.
HIV/AIDS is one of the many challenges faced by hundreds of millions of poor people living in rural areas of developing countries. It has a serious impact on agriculture and rural development and on poor farmers’ ability to produce enough food for themselves and their families. IFAD’s work with poor rural people helps strengthen their capacity to overcome poverty and hunger. In doing so, it also helps them cope better with the impact of HIV/AIDS.
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The links between food security and climate change

Recent reports indicate that the rains have failed once again across vast swathes of Eastern Africa, putting millions of people at risk. This current regional crisis is a stark reminder to all of us that the global food security crisis of 2007 and 2008, which was marked by a sharp contraction in food supplies and food price spikes, is far from over. Food prices have come down from their peaks of 2008, but they are still at historically high levels. They have become more volatile, indicating underlying uncertainties, and are showing signs of rising again.
The future of global food security is highly dependent on two important and inter-related factors. The first is the degree to which developing countries will succeed in raising agricultural productivity through technological change and effective natural resource management. The second is the degree to which the world will succeed in limiting climate change, while helping developing countries adapt to climate change and mitigate its effects.
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Developing small enterprises with savings and credit support

One of the objectives of IFAD-funded operations is to strengthen communities so that can determine their own needs and mobilize resources to meet them. Small enterprise development and credit are central to this endeavour. Working with farmers, women and indigenous groups, IFAD and its partners have helped change the attitudes and economies of villages ...
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