Agriculture is an important part of sustainable development. In many places, unsustainable agricultural practices, climate change and increasing population pressure have all contributed to severe environmental degradation, poverty and hunger. But the knowledge and technology exist to tackle these issues.
The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 20 to 22 June 2012, and marks the 20th anniversary of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio.
Rio+20 is an opportunity to change food and agriculture systems so that poor smallholders in developing countries can be included.
IFAD has years of experience in helping poor rural communities manage their natural resources, and has recently articulated 10 principles for building resilience through an Environment and Natural Resource Management Policy (ENRM). By implementing the ENRM principles, IFAD contributes to improve the lives of many, while promoting sustainable smallholder agricultural practices.
IFAD will continue working before, during and after Rio+20, to promote the role that sustainable smallholder agriculture plays in increasing global food security and protecting the environment.